KARACHI: A banking court, on Monday, sat on verdict in a petition filed by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to transfer the fake accounts case against former presdient, Asif Ali Zardari, and his sister, Faryal Talpur, to Islamabad.
Sources have relayed that Zardari’s one-day exemption plea was submitted through his lawyer in the court while Talpur attended the proceedings. The prosecutor then argued before the court with reference to case transfer to Rawalpindi on Supreme Court’s (SC) orders. The bench adjourned the hearing till March 15.
Earlier, NAB had decided to summon Bilawal Bhutto, Zardari and Talpur in a case of money laundering. It is being said that Sindh Chief Minister would also be summoned soon for the interrogation.
All of these details were scrutinized, besides the loan profile of 924 individuals.
Earlier, a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) formed on SC directives of September 6 to investigate the allegations, presented its 128-page final report to the court on December 24, which included recommendations for filing 16 NAB references.,
The court was briefed that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had identified 29 fake accounts involved in illegal trasnfers worth Rs42 billion. However, the team further discovered 11,500 bank accounts of 924 account holders, 59 Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) and 24,500 Cash Transactions Reports (CTRs).
The report further maintained that fake accounts were opened through the Omni Group, and were engaged with direct transactions with Zardari Group, Bahria Town, Sindh Government departments and certain contractors. However, the ultimate beneficiary of money laundering was said to be Zardari’s family.
Zardari was first directed to submit his reply by December 31 but later given subsequent extensions in his and his sister s interim bail till January 7.
Those accused in the case also include several prominent individuals, including former Summit Bank president, Hussain Lawai, and Omni Group president, Anwar Majeed, along with the Zardari family.
Property tycoon Malik Riaz, his son-in-law Zain and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah are also being investigated on similar charges.
