SC requested to reject JIT report in fake bank accounts case

ISLAMABAD: Incarcerated Omni Group Chairman Anwar Majeed and his son Abdul Ghani Majeed on Saturday requested the Supreme Court to reject a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report in the fake bank accounts case. 

Both the accused, who have been indicted in the JIT report along with PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur and party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, submitted their response through their lawyer to the apex court in the wake of the JIT report.

They contended in the response that the JIT had no authority to recommended forwarding the case to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Granting the JIT’s request would be violation of fundamental rights, they added.

The accused said they had been provided only JIT’s executive summary and volume-IV. The names of the 924 people who recorded statements before the probe team were not revealed to them, nor was the record examined by it provided, they lamented.

Therefore, they contended, they were unable to submit a comprehensive reply to the JIT report under these circumstances. Pleading their innocence, Anwar Majeed and his son argued that no documents are available to corroborate charges levelled against them.

The apex court has banned the sale, purchase and transfer of properties owned by Zardari Group and Omni Group after the JIT revealed that Rs42 billion was laundered through fictitious bank accounts that had also been used to bear expenses of the former president’s home.

The JIT accused Mr Zardari of mis-declaring his assets in his nomination papers submitted in the 2018 general elections and recommended filing of references against Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

The JIT members revealed that 29 fake bank accounts had been identified, which were used for money laundering. They said Rs1.2 billion had been transferred to Ms Talpur from JV Opal account and she had admitted it during her appearance before the team.

The JIT claimed the money was used to purchase properties in Tando Allhyar and Lahore.

It said that Omni Group had obtained Rs53.4 billion loans by setting up different companies since a company could not secure a loan exceeding Rs4 billion under the banking laws. Expenses of Zardari’s house were also paid through these companies, it said and added Rs2.7 million payment for sacrificial goats and some amount for pet dogs’ food had also been made by Omni Group.

Moreover, the expenses of Bilawal Houses in Karachi and Lahore were paid through fake bank accounts.