LAHORE: Suleman She­hbaz, son of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has recently returned from Lon­don after a four-year self-exile, on Friday joined the Federal Investi­gation Age­n­­cy (FIA) probe into his role in the alleged money laundering amounting to Rs16 billion in the sugar scam case.

A three-member team headed by FIA Lahore Director Sarfraz Virk quizzed Suleman for an hour about his role in the alleged money laundering. The agency also gave him a detailed questionnaire, directing him to submit its reply at the earliest.

According to an FIA spok­esperson, Suleman, after securing a bail in the FIR registered with the agency’s anti-corruption circle, joined the investigation. He said this case had been registered in connection with the benami accounts of the Ramzan Su­­gar Mills.

“Sule­man Shehbaz has been given a detailed questionnaire in this respect. He has sought some time to submit a reply,” the spokesperson said and added the investigation was underway.

Suleman during the course of interrogation insisted the case was instituted on ‘political grounds’ and he had to leave the country due to ‘fear of victimisation’, a source said.

“Since his [Suleman’s] return was facilitated by his father’s government, he is likely to get a clean chit in the FIA case as well,” sources added.

A couple of months ago, a special court of Lahore had acquitted PM Shehbaz and his son, Hamza Shehbaz, in the case. The FIA had booked Shehbaz and his two sons — Hamza and Suleman — in November 2020 under Sections 419, 420, 468, 471, 34 and 109 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, read with Section 3/4 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act.

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2022