Money laundering case against Shehbaz, Hamza: Court shows dismay at FIA for not completing probe

LAHORE: The Banking Crimes Court on Monday showed its dismay over the Federal Investigation Agency for not completing the investigation into a money-laundering case against Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz.

Presiding Judge Sardar Tahir Sabir, during the course of hearing, remarked that the Challan has been called, is this the law? The judge said the FIA has failed to complete investigations and why a notice should not be issued to the entire FIA?

The judge expressed these views while hearing the interim bail pleas of Shehbaz Sharif and other accused including Hamza Shehbaz.

Shehbaz appeared before the court along with his counsel Amjad Pervez. The counsel argued that nine account-holders have been nominated in the case, whose interim bails have been granted. The FIA did not even challenge the interim bail order of the nine co-accused in the high court. Moreover, the FIA did not object to the interim bail of co-accused Azhar Mahmood and Asim Suri. He said that on January 8, 2021, the deputy director Law of the FIA had asked for time to complete investigations in the same court. The FIA presented the Challan of the case to special judge Central while a show cause notice was issued to FIA officials for not presenting the Challan as per the court order. He said there is no law regarding the transfer of cases to another court at the stage of submission of Challan and bails as per the directions of the Supreme Court and the High Court.

The counsel argued that once a court has made indictments in a case, its jurisdiction can be discussed. He said that the prosecution has no discretionary powers to submit the Challan wherever it wants and the Challan submitted is still incomplete. At the beginning of the Challan, it was stated by the FIA that the investigation to the extent of bunkers is yet to be completed. In the present situation of the case, the jurisdiction cannot be decided. That is why the Challan will remain in the same court.

On the other end, the FIA prosecutor argued that according to the law, the investigating agency has the right to object to the jurisdiction. He argued that the provisions in the case determine the jurisdiction.

To which, the judge remarked that the matter of jurisdiction would have been resolved if the investigation related to the bankers is completed. He remarked that sixteen months have passed and the FIA has not completed its investigation yet. Showing his dismay, he said the court begged for the Challan, is this the law? Is this a requirement of the law? Why a notice should not be issued to the entire FIA? The judge remarked that the Criminal Code clearly states that the Challan must be submitted within the stipulated time.The judge, while addressing the FIA officer, said the DG FIA, while appearing before the court, had claimed that the agency has a truck full of evidence in this case on which he was given time to complete the investigation but the bank officials are still at large.

The court while giving 10 days to the FIA to complete the investigation adjourned the hearing till January 14. The court also extended the interim bails of Shehbaz Sharif and other accused including Hamza Shehbaz for the same date.