LAHORE - The joint investigation team in its report on Panama Leaks raised questions on the establishment of Al-Azizia Steel Mills as the premier’s son Hussain Nawaz failed to produce the important documents.

The JIT report says Hussain Nawaz did not produce the memorandum, bank loans documents and financial settlements. During the hearings, Hussain Nawaz repeatedly argued he had spent a few hundred thousand dollars in the establishment of the steel mill, but despite repeated questions by the JIT, he did not mention the exact amount.

Hussain Nawaz told the JIT that he had spent total 6 million USD dollars to set up the mill, adding 0.65 million were spent on the purchase of the land.

According to Hussain Nawaz, for the establishment of the mill, 0.65 million dollars were received from Qatari adjustment while one Saudi friend (name not mentioned) gave 8 million dollars for the purpose. He did not give any details of these transactions.

According to the JIT report, there is a difference of 4.55 million dollars between the money acquired and spent on the establishment of Al-Azizia Steel Mills. “If the unspecified amount of hundreds of thousands of dollars for the cost of the land is included, this gap will further increase,” the JIT report says.

According to the JIT report, during 2010 to 2015, Hussain Nawaz Hill Metals Company earned profit of 9.977 million dollars of which 4.042 million dollars were sent to Nawaz Sharif during this period. Hussain Nawaz also sent around Rs 69.228 million to his sister in 2008 and 2009.

ILLEGAL APPOINTMENTS CASE RECOMMENDED: The joint investigation team, in its report, recommended a case against Nawaz Sharif for misuse of authority in making illegal appointments in FIA.

It recommended that investigation should be completed on merit expeditiously. “Nawaz Sharif, being the prime minister, misused his authority and appointed his relatives and those of parliamentarians and high-ups in FIA in violation of merit and granted illegal favour to them,” the JIT report stated. “Investigations revealed that Nawaz Sharif, in the capacity of the prime minster of Pakistan, appointed 42 persons in FIA on various posts from constable (BPS-5) to deputy director (BPS-18) on contract basis for two years,” the report added.

“In all these appointments, the PM deliberately, willfully and intentionally violated the rules in order to favour these persons. No requisition for these posts was given by the FIA. Thus Nawaz Sharif committed the offence of corruption and corrupt practices as defined in NAO 1999,” the JIT report said.

PURCHASE OF MI-8 HELICOPTER: About another reference filed on February 28, 2000, against Nawaz Sharif and Saifur Rehman regarding purchase of MI-8 helicopter from Russia, the JIT in its report said, “Nawaz Sharif in league with Saifur Rehman, the owner of Redco, manipulated the import of MI-8 helicopter through Niaz Hussain of Orient Air Pvt Ltd against the service chargers of 15 percent of the expenditure incurred on wet leasing of the helicopter. The purchase was executed for US dollars 800,000. Payment of the helicopter was made directly by Saifur Rehman to Special Cargo Airlines.”

Nawaz Sharif was acquitted by Lahore High Court on July 26, 2009, and NAB did not file an appeal against the verdict.

In the conclusion of this case, the JIT report stated, “LHC says chain of payments for the purchase of the helicopter has not been properly investigated, so it needs further investigation.”

“As per income tax record of Nawaz Sharif, his earning was not commensurate with the expenditure on the purchase of the helicopter. NAB may be ordered to review the case and file an appeal before the Supreme Court for assailing the orders of Lahore High Court,” the JIT suggested.