FAZAL SHER

ISLAMABAD: Key prosecution witness Wajid Zia Tuesday produced various documents before the Accountability Court as evidence in the Flagship Investments reference filed against former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his sons.

While testifying before the Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Arshad Malik in the Flagship Investments reference, Zia produced various documents collected by the joint investigation team (JIT). The Flagship reference is one of the three references filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against Nawaz Sharif and his family members.

The witness submitted copies of financial statements of Flagship Investments Limited for the years 2002-2011, 2013, 2015, and 2016. He also produced the copies of financial statements of Flagship Securities Limited for the years 2006-2010 and 2012-2016 before the court.

During the course of hearing, the former prime minister was present in the courtroom who was later allowed by the court to leave.

The key prosecution witness also produced the record of Sharif's employment in Capital FZE (Dubai) including employment certificate at Capital FZE issued by Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority (JAFZA), the contract of employment with the Capital FZE and the screenshots of the details regarding disbursement of salaries to Sharif from Capital FZE owned by Hussain Nawaz.

While objecting to the documents related to Capital FZE, Sharif's counsel, Khawaja Haris, said that the two members of the JIT who visited Dubai to collect all record and relevant evidence of Sharifs' businesses there and the record related to Capital FZE did not appear before the court, while the JIT did not record statement of the person who signed letter of the JAFZA. He also said that there is no sign of any person on payment sheet; therefore, these documents cannot be produced in the court as evidence.

The witness also produced Hussain Nawaz's income and wealth tax return chart as well as fund flow chart between the offshore companies before the court.

He also presented a letter dated July 3, 2017 of one Afaq Ahmed of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) who forwarded a sealed envelop of Qatari Prince Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jaber Al-Thani, letter dated July 4, 2017 from the JIT's head to Qatari prince, letter dated June 11,2017 from the Qatari prince to the JIT head in response to the JIT letter dated May 24, 2017, letter dated July 8, 2017 from the Qatari prince to the JIT and letter addressed to secretary of the MOFA dated July 4, 2017 for sending letter through fax to the Qatari prince.

While objecting to the documents produced by the witness, Haris said that Ahmed had appeared before the court but he had not submitted the letter.

During the course of hearing, the judge said that Zia should make a list of documents that he wished to submit in the court as evidence and give their soft copies in a USB to Haris so that he could note objections and submit them in the court, as it will save time.

The Flagship reference is about the establishment of companies including Flagship Investments Limited, Flagship Securities Limited, Coomber Inc and Capital FZE (Dubai), Hartstone Properties Limited, Que Holdings Limited, Quint Eaton Place 2 Limited, Quint Saloane Ltd, Quaint Limited, Quint Gloucester Place Limited, Quint Paddington Limited, Flagship Developments Ltd, Alanna Services Limited, Lankin SA (BVI), Chadron Inc and Ansbacher Inc.

The court adjourned the hearing of the case till today (Wednesday) and Zia will continue recording of his statement.