Fake Bank Accounts Case: NAB to see through 'final phase' of investigations

ISLAMABAD: Investigations into the lingering Fake Bank Accounts Case are close to their culmination, a 15 member National Accountability Bureau (NAB) team has reached Karachi to carry out the final phase of the operation, ARY News reported on Monday.

Sources privy to the information revealed that a large team of bureau officials had made their way to the metropolis, drop-scene of the saga to take place in the coming days.

Sources further revealed that the team which is at present in Karachi consists of 11 investigators along with 4 assistants.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered the creation of a joint investigation team (JIT) to investigate the charges against the accused on 6 September 2018

The Joint Investigation Team constituted on the orders of the Supreme Court to investigate the multi-billion rupees fake accounts scam submitted its final (synthesis) report before the two-member bench of the apex court headed by former Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar.

The JIT stated that it had very minutely probed into the 32 fake accounts and the transactions associated with these accounts.

“All the relevant evidence that could be made available in a short time at the disposal of the JIT has been brought on record through this report. The instances where the evidence was insufficient or inconclusive have not been included in the findings of the JIT.”

The JIT is of the opinion that the mega-corruption and organized network of money-laundering brought forth through this report was only a tip of the iceberg.

Former President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari, his sister and 32 other accused are facing charges of laundering more than Rs35 billion through fake bank accounts. Zardari’s close aides Hussain Lawai and Anwar Majeed have also been nominated in the scam. Both are currently in judicial custody.