Advisor to Prime Minister on Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar Monday termed the acquittal of Shehbaz Sharif and his son Salman in a money laundering case by a UK court incorrect news and misreporting.
To correct the information, Shahbaz Akbar, in a series of tweets, claimed that the news about the ‘acquittal’ of Shahbaz Sharif and his son was incorrect.
In the first tweet, he said that the investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA) against Salman Shehbaz was not initiated at the request of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
The news about alleged ‘acquittal’ of Shabaz Sharif or his son Suleiman Shabaz run by one news channel is incorrect and misreporting.
— Mirza Shahzad Akbar (@ShazadAkbar) September 27, 2021
The investigation by the NCA against Suleiman Shabaz and some of his family members was not initiated at the request of ARU or NAB.1/4
In the second tweet, the PM’s aide said that the UK agency started investigations on suspicious transactions reported by a bank to it in 2019. And the NCA secured an asset freezing order from the court against Sharif’s funds in bank accounts.
It was a result of a suspicious transaction reported by a bank to NCA.Certain funds transferred by Suleiman Shabaz from Pakistan to UK in 2019 were declared as suspicious transaction by the UK authorities &NCA secured an asset freezing order(AFO) from court against these funds2/4
— Mirza Shahzad Akbar (@ShazadAkbar) September 27, 2021
Shehzad Akbar in his third tweet said that the NCA has stopped investigations and released funds through the court but it is also clarified that such a release order was not an acknowledgement that funds are from a legitimate source.
however recently NCA decided to stop investigating these funds and therefore agreed for release of these funds through court.
— Mirza Shahzad Akbar (@ShazadAkbar) September 27, 2021
It is clarified that such a release order is not an acknowledgement that funds are from a legitimate source.3/4
In the last tweet on the issue, the PM’s aide claimed that it is clear that no trial was going on in the UK so there is no acquittal but Salman Shehbaz is a fugitive in the case of money laundering in the Anti-Corruption Court in Lahore
It is clarified that there is no acquittal of any sort as reported as there was no trial! funds were frozen by NCA and NCA has decided to not investigate these funds anymore.
— Mirza Shahzad Akbar (@ShazadAkbar) September 27, 2021
Suleiman Shabaz remains a fugitive in a money laundering case against him and his father before AC LHR