An accountability court on Tuesday summoned witnesses to record their statements in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case on November 26.
Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz appeared in the court and marked his attendance, while his father, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif was granted exemption from appearance.
The court summoned the witnesses on the next hearing and adjourned further hearing of the case until November 26.
On November 11, last year, an accountability court had indicted Shehbaz, his son Hamza, daughter and other family members in a money-laundering reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Shehbaz Sharif’s daughter Javeria Ali along with seven other nominated accused appeared in court.
The NAB had filed a reference accusing former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif, his son Hamza Shahbaz and others for causing losses to the national exchequer and misusing authority by sanctioning the construction of a bridge to facilitate the sugar mills.
NAB officials said that Shehbaz Sharif, being the chief minister of Punjab, misused his authority by issuing directives for the construction of a 10-kilometre-long drain in Chiniot primarily to benefit the sugar mill owned by his sons. Shehbaz and Hamza have been accused of fraudulently causing a Rs 213 million loss to the national exchequer.
