NAB submits case record against Asif Zardari in fake bank accounts case

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday submitted the record of the case in fake bank accounts case against former president, Asif Ali Zardari, ARY News reported.

The division bench comprising Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar resumed the hearing into the pleas filed by Asif Ali Zardari and his sister, Faryal Talpur, seeking another extension in their interim bail in the scam.

“Asif Zardari is directly involved in fake bank accounts case and the bureau has enough evidence to arrest him”, the NAB officials said after filing the record in the court.

Yesterday, an Islamabad High Court (IHC) bench had extended the interim bail granted to Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman and his sister Faryal Talpur until Thursday (today) in the fake bank accounts case.

The bench had ordered the bureau to present records pertaining to the fake accounts case today (Thursday).

Earlier on May 14, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had requested the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to dismiss a bail petition of former president Asif Ali Zardari in the mega money laundering and fake bank accounts case by terming it “non-maintainable”.

Read more: IHC extends Zardari, Talpur’s bail in fake accounts case

The bureau had submitted an 11-page reply to the PPP co-chairman’s bail, stating that he is being investigated over his alleged involvement in different cases, including the fake accounts case.

The case

The FIA is investigating 32 people in relation to money laundering from fictitious accounts, including Zardari and Talpur. Zardari’s close aide Hussain Lawai was arrested in July last year in connection with the probe.

The former president’s close aide and Omni Group chairman Anwar Majeed and his son, Abdul Ghani, were arrested by FIA in August 2018.

Over 20 ‘benami’ accounts at some private banks were opened in 2013, 2014 and 2015 from where transactions worth billions of rupees were made, according to sources.

The amount, according to FIA sources, is said to be black money gathered from various kickbacks, commissions and bribes.