Zardari, Faryal Talpur want a new JIT to probe money-laundering charges

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur didn’t appear before a joint investigation team probing money-laundering charges against them.

Ms Talpur through her lawyer Farooq H Naek filed an application before the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) requesting it to form a new probe team.

The counsel stated that his client wanted to fully cooperate with FIA for a probe into the money-laundering scam but she couldn’t appear before it today as she is currently in Larkana.

He explained the PPP leader is busy submitting the details of her assets to the returning officer in Larkana.

Zardari and his sister were asked to appear before the JIT probing the money laundering allegations against them in Islamabad but they skipped the hearing.

Sources said the FIA team is said to have tracked down money trail of Rs23 billion out of the total Rs35 billion involved in the case.

Earlier, the FIA State Bank Circle submitted a charge-sheet of the case against Hussain Lawai and other accused in the relevant court.

Zardari and his sister were among over a dozen suspects declared absconders in the money-laundering scam.

According to the FIR registered by FIA, transactions of billions of rupees were made into suspicious accounts, including the one owned by the PPP leaders, the Zardari Group, which is accused of receiving Rs 15 million of the laundered money.