The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecution in the £190 million corruption case admitted in the Islamabad High Court that the order from the National Crimes Agency (NCA) seizing the amount sent by property tycoon Malik Riaz was not officially recorded in the judicial records.
During the hearing, IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri were presiding over the petitions.
Special Prosecutor Amjad Pervaiz presented arguments on the post-arrest bail petitions of former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in this case.
In response to a question from Justice Jahangiri about whether the prosecution had obtained the certified copy of the order freezing Mr. Riaz’s funds, the prosecutor stated that they did not have it.
When asked if they had the order to unfreeze the amount, Mr. Pervaiz acknowledged the absence of a certified order copy but mentioned having comprehensive documents from the UK detailing the case.
Mr. Pervaiz highlighted that the previous PTI government established an Assets Recovery Unit (ARU) led by then adviser on accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar, which reported directly to the prime minister and was based at the PM Secretariat.
He mentioned that the ARU informed the NCA about money laundering by Malik Riaz, specifically related to a property purchase in Hyde Park from Hassan Nawaz.
Mr. Pervaiz noted the Supreme Court’s imposition of a Rs460 billion fine on Mr. Riaz in a land case, with the amount recently transferred to the Sindh government.
He detailed that Bahria Town purchased land in the name of Zulfi Bukhari before the Al-Qadir Trust was established, and discussions on the trust began afterward.
Regarding the NCA’s freeze on Mr. Riaz’s amount, the prosecutor explained that the transaction was deemed suspicious, and accused individuals allegedly facilitated the illegal transfer of this amount into Mr. Riaz’s account.
The prosecutor also mentioned a confidential deed prepared by Mr. Akbar to unfreeze the money, which was approved by the federal cabinet without disclosing its contents to the cabinet members.
The hearing on this matter has been adjourned until May 13.
