Panama case: JIT receives Qatari Prince’s reply through letter

The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) has received reply of Qatari Prince Hamad Bin Jasim Bin Jaber Al Thani through a letter, reported Waqt News.

The reply is being sent with reference of ongoing Panama Leaks investigation being conducted by JIT.

According to sources, Foreign Ministry handed over the letter to JIT.

The letter was in a sealed envelope which was not opened, sources said.

Earlier, JIT wrote letter to Qatari Prince to seek answers regarding his involvement in money trail of Sharif family.

Qatari Prince in his two letters claimed that his family had business ties with Sharif family.

During hearing of Panama Leaks case, on January 26th, Sharif family submitted second letter from the Qatari prince in the Supreme Court to establish the money trail of London apartments.

In his letter to the apex court, Qatari Prince Hamad Bin Jasim Bin Jaber Al Thani claimed that an investment of 12 million dirhams contributed by Mian Muhammad Sharif (father of PM Nawaz) was made “by way of provision of cash”.

A statement, submitted in the apex court by the premier’s counsel Salman Akram Raja, further stated that an amount of $8 million which was due to Mian Sharif in 2005, was settled “by the way of delivery of bearer shares of Nescol Ltd and Neilson Enterprises Ltd to a representative of PM Nawaz’s son Hussain Nawaz in 2006”.

Qatari Prince Al-Thani, in his second letter to the Supreme Court also sought to answer the questions raised after presentation of his first letter.

The letter says PM Nawaz’s father, Mian Muhammad Sharif, made an investment of approximately 12 million dirhams in the Al-Thani family’s real estate business.

“The investment was made by way of provision of cash which was common practice in the Gulf region at the time of the investment. It was also, given the longstanding relationship between my father and Sharif, a customary way for them to do business between themselves,” it said.

“At the end of 2005, after receiving all accruals and other distributions made over the term of the investment, it was agreed that an amount of approx $8,000,000 was due to Sharif. The amount due to him was settled in 2006,” the letter explained, “by way of the delivery to Hussain Nawaz Sharif’s representative of bearer shares of Nescoll Ltd and Nielsen Enterprises Ltd, which had been kept during that time in Qatar.”

The letter is accompanied by transaction details and auditor’s reports regarding the Gulf Steel Mills in Dubai and the Azizia Steel Mills in Jeddah.

In the earlier letter, the Qatari prince stated that his father had longstanding business relations with PM Nawaz’s father which were coordinated through the prince’s eldest brother. “As per my understanding at that time an aggregate sum of around 12 million dirhams was contributed by Mian Sharif, originating from the sale of business in Dubai, UAE,” it said.

Source: The Nation