ISLAMABAD: In a significant development, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has summoned former Prime Minister Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi and his wife Bushra Imran Khan for questioning in a high-profile £190 million transfer scam case.
The summons issued by NAB dated 1st June 2023 directed both former premier and former first lady to appear in person on June 7, 2023 to join the investigation regarding the alleged financial irregularities.
The case revolves around freezing approximately £20 million by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) on December 14, 2018, from the bank accounts of two Pakistani nationals, Ahmad Riaz Malik and Mubashra Ali Malik, who is the wife of Ahmad Ali Ali Riaz. The frozen funds were seized under the UK’s Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. Subsequently, on August 12, 2019, the NCA froze an additional £199.7 million held in the bank accounts of Malik Riaz, along with a property located at 1 Hyde Park Place, under the same act.
According to NAB, these frozen funds were intended to be repatriated to the national exchequer of Pakistan, as specified in a note dated December 2, 2019. However, instead of transferring the funds to the state, they were allegedly dishonestly and maliciously adjusted against the liability of Bahria Town Ltd. Karachi (BTLK). The funds were transferred to a designated account meant for depositing the liability of BTLK.
Further investigation revealed that on November 25, 2019, foreign inward remittances amounting to PKR 23,337,618,717 were received from the UK, followed by £20,006,895 on November 26, 2019, and £34,498,795 on May 11, 2022. These funds were reportedly deposited into the designated account for BTLK, subsequently used for adjusting the liability of the company.
The NAB notice alleges that Imran Khan, as the Prime Minister at the time, chaired a cabinet meeting on December 3, 2019, where the note and a deed of confidentiality were presented and approved without addressing the concerns raised by some cabinet members. The approval was given to extend undue benefits to Bahria Town Ltd., allowing them to become the beneficiary of the funds instead of transferring them to the State of Pakistan. The notice also suggests that Imran Khan obtained material and monetary benefits from BTL under the guise of donations to the Al Qadir University Project Trust, in which he and his wife are trustees.
Imran Khan had previously been issued a call-up notice on March 2, 2023, but failed to appear for the inquiry. He also did not provide the requested documents and information, raising frivolous objections in his written response. Consequently, the inquiry was converted into an investigation, and Imran Khan was served with another call-up notice on May 16, 2023. Despite an interim bail granting order from the Islamabad High Court, directing him to participate in the investigation, Imran Khan did not comply with the notice.
NAB has now issued a fresh call-up notice to Imran Khan, directing him to appear on June 7, 2023, to join the investigation, provide the requested documents, and record his plea.
In a related development, NAB has also summoned Bushra Imran Khan, the wife of Imran Khan, as a witness in the case. She has been instructed to appear before NAB, along with various documents related to the Al Qadir University Project Trust, including registration documents, details of donors, land transfers, and financial information. Additionally, she has been asked to provide bank account details of the trust and other relevant information. Non-compliance by Bushra Imran Khan may result in actions under the NAB Ordinance of 1999.
The investigation into the £190 million transfer scam case and the alleged involvement of Imran Khan and Bushra Imran Khan is expected to shed light on the complex financial transactions and their connection to Bahria Town Ltd. and the Al Qadir University Project Trust. The outcome of the investigation will have significant implications for the individuals involved and the political landscape of Pakistan.
