'Mastermind' of fake bank accounts case Aslam Masood arrested by FIA

Chief suspect in ‘fake accounts’ case, Aslam Masood, was arrested on Friday by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) as soon as he landed in Pakistan after being deported from Saudi Arabia, ARY News reported.

Masood, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Omni Group, was arrested by the Interpol when he was boarding a flight from London to Jeddah in October. He was subsequently extradited to Pakistan from Saudi Arabia.

An FIA team had wanted to go to Saudi Arabia and arrest Masood there, however, the team wasn’t issued visas.

He was deported by Saudi Arabia on Friday afternoon, and as soon as he landed at the Islamabad International Airport, he was taken into custody by the FIA.

He will be presented before the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) which is probing the fake bank accounts case.

Earlier in August, the Supreme Court (SC) had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Masood, declaring him an absconder.

PPP Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur, their close aide Anwar Majeed and others are facing a probe into the money laundering scam involving over Rs35 billion laundered through fake bank accounts.

Sources say Masood looked after all the financial matters of Anwar Majeed’s company Kam Crown and therefore, he is believed to be privy to important information regarding the ‘mega money-laundering’ case.

He is, therefore, believed to be the ‘mastermind’ of money laundering carried out through the fake bank accounts.

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Sources further informed that Masood, who also had established his own company for money laundering, has agreed to provide the authorities with information that he has about the matter.