From Abid Usman
LAHORE: A Lahore anti-corruption court on Monday reserved its verdict in Ramzan Sugar Mills reference filed against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz.
The court is set to announce its decision on Feb 6 after both parties completed their arguments.
The hearing was conducted by Accountability Judge Sardar Muhammad Iqbal Dogar.
Defence lawyer Amjad Pervez argued that the construction of the drainage channel in question was not approved by then CM Shehbaz Sharif but by the Punjab cabinet for the betterment of the area. The defence lawyer further said the case against Shehbaz and Hamza was politically motivated. On the other hand, prosecutor Mian Waseem stated that, in is view, the construction of the sludge was justified. The prosecution further asserted that the drain was built on the request of the late MPA Rahmat Ali.
The prosecution urged the court to make a decision on the acquittal request after reviewing the case records.
The Ramzan Sugar Mills case was shifted to the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) after amendments to the NAB laws.
In the mills’ reference, the NAB arrested Shehbaz Sharif on Oct 5, 2018, and the Lahore High Court released him on bail on Feb 14, 2019.
The NAB alleged that Shehbaz Sharif, being chief minister, and his son Hamza with the abetment and connivance of each other caused a loss of Rs213 million to the national exchequer by committing the offence of misuse of authority.
