NAB accuses Chaudhry brothers of money laundering, accumulating illegal assets

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has accused PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and his cousin Chaudhry Pervez Elahi of accumulating illegal assets and money laundering, in a reply submitted to the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday.

Submitting a response to the Chaudhry brothers' petition filed at the LHC against 20-year-old inquiries by NAB, the bureau said that Elahi and his family members' wealth has increased to Rs 4.06 billion while Shujaat and his family members' wealth has shot up to Rs 2.55 billion from 1985 to 2018.

NAB alleged that the shareholding of petitioner Shujaat and his family has increased to Rs500mn in 2019 from Rs2mn in 1985. Further, the family of Ch Shujaat Hussain has acquired properties worth more than Rs130 million. The PML-Q chief's two sons, namely Shafey Hussain and Salik Hussain, have given a loan amounting to Rs1.5bn to different companies owned by them.

Moreover, Shujaat allegedly received foreign remittances of Rs581mn in his bank account since 2004. NAB said that five remitters joined the investigation and denied sending remittances, the reply said.

The shareholding of Ch Pervez Elahi and his family members has increased to Rs3bn from 1985 to 2019. Further, the family of Pervez Elahi has acquired properties worth more than 250 million. Moreover, foreign remittance of Rs 978 million were received in the bank accounts of the family of Pervez Elahi since 2004. So far three remitters have joined investigation proceedings and denied sending any remittances, which prima facie established that the accused used fake identities to route unexplained money from foreign countries to Pakistan, the reply added.

Elahi has also been accused of making illegal appointments in the Local Government Board when he was the chief minister of Punjab. The bureau said the inquiries of illegal assets and misuse of authority were never approved for closure by the competent authority and the investigation is being held strictly in accordance with the law. However, it said a third inquiry of willful default was approved for closure by the authority in 2017 for lack of evidence. The NAB asked the court to dismiss the petition of the Chaudhry brothers.

The bureau said that the two accused have been asked to submit assets pro-forma and explain huge increase in their and their family’s wealth despite several extensions, which they have failed to do so. The evidence connects the petitioners with offences of corruption and corrupt practices, the report concluded.

PML-Q leaders approach LHC against NAB

The PML-Q leaders have approached the Lahore High Court, challenging three 20-year-old inquiries against them by the NAB through Advocate Amjad Pervez.

The petitioners, who are an important ally to the PTI government, argued that the conduct of the bureau and its officials have been judicially noticed by the superior courts of the country in a number of cases. They pleaded that all the three investigations were recommended for closure by the investigating officers and regional board of the NAB during 2017 and 2018.

However, they submitted the NAB chairman approved in 2019 the bifurcation of investigations against them about the allegations of assets beyond means after an investigation spreading over a period of 19 years. They argued that the so called order for the bifurcation was prompted by mala fide intention to contain their (petitioners) role and their party in the political arena.

They claimed that not a single piece of evidence or material was available before the then chairman for authorization of the investigations. They argued that the entire process is in violation of mandatory provisions of the ordinance and therefore are illegal and void ab-initio.

Reacting to the NAB statement, the Chaudhry brothers' spokesman has said the NAB is being used for political engineering, old cases against them are being repeatedly opened and closed.