Imran, Bushra record statement in £190 million case

 RAWALPINDI: In a major development, the high-profile £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case against incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi has entered its “final stage” as the couple recorded its statement under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) on Monday. 

Accountability Court Judge Nasir Javed Rana presided over the hearing of the graft case against the ex-prime minister at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on Monday.

The 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician has been behind bars since August last year after he was sentenced in Toshakhana case-I — one of the dozens cases registered against the former premier since his ouster from power in April 2022.

At the outset of today’s hearing, the PTI founder was produced before the court while the former first lady was also present in the courtroom after skipping almost 10 hearings.

The judge suspended non-bailable arrest warrants for the former first lady after she appeared before the court.

Khan’s wife told the judge that she did not want to present any witness in her favour before the court.

Meanwhile, the court adjourned the hearing till December 12.

During the previous hearing, Khan and his spouse, who was recently released on bail, were been given a 14-page questionnaire in the settlement case.

The questionnaire, which contains 79 questions related to the reference, was provided for their final statements under Section 342 of the CrPC, 1898.

In the questionnaire — a copy of which is available with Geo News, the court asked the PTI founder whether he and his associates illegally obtained “monetary benefits” — which include land measuring 458 kanals — and, in return, facilitated the “illegal and dishonest transfer/adjustment of £171.159 million out of £190 million, meant for the State of Pakistan”.

The court while citing evidence said co-accused Shahzad Akbar — former special assistant on accountability — “in-connivance and active knowledge” of Khan malafidely floated a note dated December 2, 2019, to the deposed prime minister.

Seeking his response, the court stated: “The note contained misrepresented information, implying that funds frozen in the UK were to be surrendered to the State of Pakistan, mischaracterising of land purchase agreement as a fine and knowingly misrepresented that Supreme Court account was being operated for the benefit of State of Pakistan.”

Furthermore, the accountability court said, “It is in the evidence that the jailed politician, being a prime minister, dishonestly instructed for placing the note as additional agenda without prior circulation in violation of rules of business, 1973 despite the fact that your co-accused Mirza Shahzad Akbar with your active connivance and under your influence had already dishonestly and for ulterior motive signed and submitted the confidential deed to the national Crime Agency UK on Nov 11, 2019.”

What is the £190 million case?

As per the charges of the case, Imran and other accused allegedly adjusted Rs50 billion — £190 million at the time — sent by Britain’s national Crime Agency (NCA) to the Pakistani government as part of the agreement with a property tycoon.

Subsequently, the then-prime minister got approval for the settlement with the UK crime agency from his cabinet on December 3, 2019, without disclosing the details of the confidential agreement.

It was decided that the money would be submitted to the Supreme Court on behalf of the tycoon.

According to the NAB officials, the PTI founder and his wife obtained land worth billions of rupees from the property tycoon, to build an educational institute, in return for striking a deal to give legal cover to the property tycoon’s black money received from the UK crime agency.