LONDON: the High Court of Justice, Queens Bench in London Friday has held that government of Pakistan has established its case that the money used for purchase of the Rockwood Estate and Surrey Palace was corruption money earned through kickbacks and commission received from Swiss Pre-shipment Inspection Companies.
Justice Lawrence Collins of the London High Court, who is considered an authority in such complex trans-national cases has decided in its 49 pages landmark judgment that Mr Asif Ali Zardari had concealed his ownership of Rockwood Surrey palace and now it is time for him to show that the Surrey Palace was no purchased with corruption money. He further added that there is a reasonable prospect for GOP to establish that the Rockwood Surrey Palace was purchased by Asif Ali Zardari and Benazir Bhutto through corruption. A full trial will commence shortly.
Friday's judgment is a victory of NAB's 9 years long stance. NAB had always claimed that the Surrey Palace was secretly purchased by Mr Zardari and Benazir Bhutto with the proceeds of corruption and their ownership was concealed behind a secretive network of trusts and offshore companies. On the contrary Ms Bhutto and Mr Zardari have been denying the ownership of Rockwood Surrey Palace.
As per details, GOP has filed its main case, a 'Tracing Claim' in the High Court of London in March this year. Mr Zardari applied to the English High Court to set aside GOP's claim. The Court dismissed Mr Zardari's application thus paving the way for the proceedings to continue under the rapid procedures of the Commercial Court to continue under the rapid procedures of the Commercial Court, which is part of the English High Court. The High Court in London has ordered Mr Zardari to pay GOP's cost i.e lawyers fee (UK Pound 35,000). By the order Mr Zardari will not only pay a heavy sum in sterling Pounds to his expensive English lawyers but also to the English lawyers of GOP.
The English High Court Judge Mr Justice Lawrence Collins reviewed in detail the merits of the case and concluded, "I accept Pakistan's case that it has a real prospects on merits. Mr Zardari sought to conceal his interest in the Rockwood Estate... Mr Zardari has not answered Pakistan's case that he did not disclose his ownership of the Rockwood Estate or the defendant companies in his 1995 tax returns in Pakistan or in his assets declarations filed in February 1997 as part of his nomination papers for election to the Senate."
Mr Justice Collins further writes in his judgment that there: "Is direct evidence that the Cotecna/SGS payments were used to source the cost of refurbishment monies for the Surrey Palace paid from a Swiss bank accounts of a company called Bomer and that "there is evidence that Mr Zardari was the beneficial owner and controller of Bomer". "No explanation, " he said, "has been given by Mr Zardari of the source of the payments into the Bomer accounts ... Bomer had no commercial business of its own, and it was a vehicle of Mr Zardari and or Ms Bhutto. There is material evidence that they were behind a number of other off-shore companies used to receive bribes (while concealing their interests).. . I accept that it is interestingly improbable that Mr Zardari would have wished Bomer, which was used to receive funds from SGS and Cotecna, to receive funds deriving from legitimate sources. All the monies in the various Swiss bank accounts seem to have been treated a being effectively part of the same fund.
The judgment continues: " There is in my judgment, a reasonable prospects of Pakistan establishing that (a) Mr Zardari and or Ms Bhutto instructed Mr Schlegemilch and Mr Howard to facilitate the purchase and refurbishment of the Rockwood Estate."
According to English High Court proceedings will commence shortly and Mr Zardari is finally to explain, as to how he purchased and refurbished the Surrey Palace, after so many years of denials, which he has now admitted being its owner.
The judgment is a step closer to tighten the noose around the accused, as recently INTERPOL has re-issed Red Notices against BB and Zardari after rejecting their appeal against the issuance of Red notices.
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FROM: http://www.onlinene ws.com.pk/ details.php? id=103301
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