On Tuesday, Federal Investigation Agency Additional Director Wajid Zia, who headed the Panama case investigation team which probed the Sharif family's assets, finished recording his statement in the Avenfield case against the Sharif family. Photo: file

 

ISLAMABAD: The accountability court will resume hearing the Avenfield reference against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar today (Wednesday).

Accountability judge Muhammad Bashir will hear the case and the legal counsels of the Sharif family will cross-examine the testimony of witness Wajid Zia.

An accountability court is hearing three corruption references against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family.

On Tuesday, Federal Investigation Agency Additional Director Wajid Zia, who headed the Panama case investigation team which probed the Sharif family's assets, finished recording his statement in the Avenfield case against the Sharif family.

As Zia resumed recording his statement for the fifth time, he informed the court that Nawaz's elder son Hussain owned the Avenfield flats from 1993 to 1996.

When Maryam's counsel Amjad Pervez objected to the claim, Zia said Hussain had informed the JIT of the same so the fact cannot be disputed. Zia also asserted that the signed documents submitted to the JIT by Nawaz's children were bogus. 

The cases

The trial against the Sharif family had commenced on September 14, 2017.

Wajid Zia completes recording statement in Avenfield reference against Sharifs

Nawaz's counsel Khawaja Haris will now conduct cross-examination of the former Panama case JIT head

The corruption references, filed against the Sharif family, pertain to the Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Establishment, offshore companies including Flagship Investment Ltd, and Avenfield properties of London.

Nawaz and sons Hussain and Hasan are accused in all three references whereas his daughter Maryam and son-in-law MNA Capt (retd) Safdar are accused in the Avenfield reference only.

The two brothers, based abroad, have been absconding since the proceedings began last year and were declared proclaimed offenders by the court.