Broadsheet probe report to be made public

The federal government has decided to make Broadsheet scandal inquiry report public, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Tuesday. 

Quoting sources, the channel reported that Prime Minister Imran Khan had ordered placing the report before the cabinet, which would give a green signal to make it public.  

The Prime Minister (PM) Office had received the inquiry report of the Broadsheet scandal on Monday (March 22). Joint Secretary Zahid Maqsood received the inquiry report consisting of 500 pages.

The federal government had appointed Justice (retired) Azmat Saeed Shaikh to head the inquiry committee after the revelations made by the Broadsheet LLC chief Kaveh Mousavi.

Sources said a former woman legal consultant did not appear before the commission despite summoning.

It may be recalled that UK-based asset recovery firm Broadsheet LLC had been hired in 2000 to help recover assets stashed by Pakistanis abroad. The Commission recorded statements of 26 witnesses in the scandal.

On January 21, the federal government had appointed former Supreme Court judge Azmat Saeed Sheikh as head of the inquiry committee to probe the issue of UK-based asset recovery firm Broadsheet LLC.

Similarly,  owner of the firm Kaveh Moussavi, on March 22, had said the inquiry commission set up by the incumbent Pakistani government did not contact him as yet.  

Talking to 24NewsHD TV, Moussavi said it was Pakistani people’s right to know the facts about the financial scam. He said he could help if the inquiry commission led by Justice (Retired) Sheikh Azmat Saeed is serious in knowing the facts. He said he was surprised that the inquiry commission did not even contact him. 

Moussavi said he could narrate the complete story as to why Pakistan suffered a loss of $70 million. He said that justice should be dispensed and people should be able to see justice being dispensed. He said that he could testify in the financial scam online, without going to Pakistan. He said he had informed the commission that Pakistan owed Broadsheet £1 million. He said the London High Court froze Pakistan High Commission’s accounts on Broadsheet’s request after Pakistan refused to pay the due amount. 

Moussavi said he had the impression that the inquiry commission was set up in good faith, but it seems it’s going to be used for political purposes. He said that facts about the financial scandal will remain hidden until the main accused testifies. He said it was ridiculous that evidence of a £1.5 million payment to Broadsheet disappeared from the inquiry commission’s record. He said the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) of Pakistan fooled the Pakistani government and paid the money to Jerry James. Then it paid $20 million in legal fees to defend this wrong payment, he said. 

Moussavi said that Pakistan hired the services of Broadsheet in 2000 when General Pervez Musharraf was in power in Pakistan. He said that Broadsheet was supposed to search the hidden assets of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and other Pakistani rulers abroad. He said the Broadsheet Commission was set up on January 29 after a payment of $29 million to Broadsheet by the London branch of the UBL. 

Reporter Owais Kiani