The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) ongoing probe into a case pertaining to fake bank accounts has revealed that around Rs41 billion were laundered, a private news channel reported on Wednesday.
FIA officials found at least 15 more suspicious bank accounts, four of which have been confirmed as fake. A total of Rs6 billion was laundered via these four fake or ‘benami’ accounts.
With this latest revelation, the total amount of money laundered via fake bank accounts amounts to Rs41 billion.
The FIA is investigating at least 32 people for suspicions of money laundering from fictitious accounts, including former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur. Zardari’s close aide Hussain Lawai was arrested in July this year in connection with the probe, whereas Omni Group Chairman Anwar Majeed and his son, Abdul Ghani Majeed, were also taken into custody earlier this month.
FIA officials said that out of the four accounts confirmed to be fictitious, some belong to Omni Group.
The agency is investigating the other 11 ‘suspicious’ accounts, via which Rs90 million were transferred with the involvement of Zardari group.
So far, as many as 33 bank accounts have been found to be fake or ‘benami’ accounts which were employed to launder money.
400 people including politicians and bureaucrats benefited from the laundered money.