–Banking court orders FIA to present Zardari, other suspects on Sept 4, PPP’s Babar rejects report
–Courts hands Omni Group Chairman Anwar Majeed, his son in FIA custody till Aug 24
KARACHI: A banking court on Friday issued non-bailable warrants of arrest for Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and 15 others in the Rs 35 billion money laundering case.
Warrants were issued for suspects absconding in the case, including Namar Majeed, Aslam Masood, Arif Khan, Naseer Abdullah Hussain, Adnan Javed, Mohammad Umair, Iqbal, Azam Wazir Khan, Zain Malik, and Mustafa Zulqarnain.
While hearing a case relating to the money laundering probe, the court directed authorities to present Zardari and other suspects before it by September 4.
However, PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar issued a statement in which he quoted Zardari’s counsel Farooq Naek as saying that no warrants against the former president have been issued.
ANWAR MAJEED, SON SENT ON PHYSICAL REMAND:
The FIA also requested the banking court for a 14-day remand of former president Asif Zardari’s close aide and Omni Group Chairman Anwar Majeed and his son. The accused’s counsel, Farooq H Naek, opposed the appeal.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the court granted physical remand of Omni Group’s chairman and his son Abdul Ghani Majeed until August 24.
Speaking to the media, an FIA representative said the remand was to further probe and obtain documents from the accused in the money laundering case.
The hearing has been adjourned till August 25.
The FIA is investigating 32 people in relation to money laundering from fictitious accounts, including Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur. Zardari’s close aide Hussain Lawai was arrested last month in connection with the probe.
The banking court hearing the case on Thursday approved an extension in Talpur’s interim bail until the next hearing on September 4.
Interim bails for some others, including Shehzad Jatoi and Sher Muhammad Mugheri, were also extended until the same date.
A decision on the bail of Lawai and Taha Raza was adjourned until August 18.
The court also approved transit remand of the two under-custody accused Anwar Majeed and Abdul Ghani Majeed, on the FIA’s request.
Over 20 ‘benami’ accounts at some private banks were opened in 2013, 2014 and 2015 from where transactions worth billions of rupees were made, according to sources. The amount, according to FIA sources, is said to be black money gathered from various kickbacks, commissions and bribes.