F.P. Report
KARACHI: Banking court of Karachi has reserved verdict its verdict in transfer of money laundering a case against former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur to Islamabad, on Monday.
According to reports, the court will announce its verdict on March 15
As the hearing underway, Zardari’s one-day exemption plea was submitted in the court while his sister Faryal Talpur attended the proceedings.
The lawyers presented arguments over transfer of case to Rawalpindi on Supreme Court’s (SC) orders after which the decision was reserved.
Earlier, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had decided to summon Bilawal Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari and Faryal Talpur in fake bank accounts case.
Chief Minister of Sindh will also be summoned soon for the interrogation, the sources told.
Money laundering case against Zardari
Earlier on December 24, the Joint Investigation Team (JIT), formed on the apex court’s orders to probe into the alleged money-laundering case, presented its 128-page final report to the court which included recommendations for filing 16 NAB references.
The report had mentioned that 29 fake accounts were identified by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) which laundered 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 stated that the fake accounts were opened through the Omni Group, however the accounts had been engaged with direct transactions with the Zardari Group, Bahria Town, Sindh Government departments and certain contractors while the ultimate beneficiary of money laundering was Zardari’s family.
Later, the court had ordered Zardari to submit his reply by December 31, however, during the previous hearing extended his and his sister s interim bail till January 7.
On September 6, the SC had formed a JIT to probe into alleged mega money laundering of Rs42 billion channeled through fake bank accounts in three banks.
Besides the Zardari family, several prominent individuals including former Summit Bank president Hussain Lawai and Omni Group president Anwar Majeed, have been accused in the case.
Property tycoon Malik Riaz, his son-in-law Zain, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari have been also included in the inquiry.
