NAB Panel Interrogates Imran Khan for £190 Million NCA Settlement Case

In a recent development, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan was interrogated by a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) panel for four hours regarding the infamous £190 million National Crime Agency (NCA) UK settlement case. The panel issued a questionnaire, demanding replies supported by documentary evidence.

During the interrogation, the panel posed a series of questions related to the case, including inquiries about money transfers, cabinet clearance, land allocation for the Al-Qadir Trust, and a record of donations. They also inquired about the confidentiality of the summary and its approval by the cabinet without discussion.

Imran Khan stated to NAB that the entire process concerning the NCA was overseen by his former accountability aide, Shahzad Akbar. He claimed that he had no direct involvement in the process and only received verbal briefings. Khan suggested that Akbar should be summoned from London for further investigation.

According to sources, Khan mentioned that the property tycoon involved in the case was motivated by the vision of the Al-Qadir University Trust and had donated the land for its establishment.

Originally scheduled for June 7, the NAB had initially summoned both Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi. However, they requested a postponement. As a result, the NAB team rescheduled the summoning of the PTI chairman for June 8, while Bushra Bibi received a summons for June 13.

The case revolves around corruption charges amounting to billions of rupees against Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, and other PTI leaders. They are being investigated by NAB in connection with a settlement between the PTI government and a property tycoon, which allegedly caused a loss of £190 million to the national exchequer.

According to the charges, Khan and the other accused allegedly adjusted Rs50 billion (equivalent to £190 million at the time) sent by the UK's National Crime Agency to the Pakistani government as part of the agreement with the property tycoon. They are also accused of receiving undue benefits in the form of over 458 kanals of land to establish Al-Qadir University.

Previously, during the PTI government, the UK's National Crime Agency seized assets worth £190 million from the property tycoon in Britain. The agency clarified that the assets would be passed to the government of Pakistan and the settlement with the tycoon was a civil matter and not a finding of guilt.

Following the approval of the settlement with the UK crime agency by then-Prime Minister Khan's cabinet on December 3, 2019, without disclosing the details of the confidential agreement, the money was decided to be submitted to the Supreme Court on behalf of the tycoon. Subsequently, the Al-Qadir Trust was established in Islamabad.

NAB officials had been investigating the alleged misuse of powers in the process of recovering "dirty money" received from the UK crime agency. After the emergence of "irrefutable evidence" in the case, the inquiry was converted into an investigation.

The investigation reveals that Khan and his wife acquired land worth billions of rupees from the property tycoon in exchange for providing legal cover to the tycoon's black money received from the UK crime agency, with the intention of constructing an educational institute.