NAB to expand prosecution team for Sharif family references: sources

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ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Monday decided to expand the prosecution team in the references against the Sharif family, sources informed Geo News.

Senior lawyers in the prosecution team, which now includes justices of the Supreme Court, will cross-question any witnesses presented by the defendants.

A three-member monitoring team, headed by NAB’s Special Prosecutor Imranul Haq, has also been formed to aid the performance of the seven-member prosecution team and aid it, said sources.

Wajid Zia records statement, submits documents in Avenfield properties reference

Former PM, family face three corruption references filed by NAB in light of Supreme Court's Panama Papers case judgment

Senior lawyers have also started monitoring Wajid Zia’s statement to an accountability court. Zia was the head of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probing the Panama case. 

NAB had filed three interim corruption references against the Sharif family in September last year in light of the Supreme Court's July 28 verdict in the Panama Papers case. The bureau recently filed supplementary references in all three cases as well.

The cases

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

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.