More records sought by JIT on mega money laundering case

KARACHI: A Joint Investigation Team (JIT) constituted to probe into mega money laundering case has sought more records from 11 departments containing details of development schemes, ARY News reported on Thursday.

The investigation team sought complete details from 11 departments regarding development schemes, estimation, starting time of the projects and names of contractors.

A letter, a copy of which obtained by ARY News, was sent to the concerned departments in Sindh seeking detailed documents over expenditures, issuance of funds and current status of development schemes.

Officials were also advised to enclose copies of agreements by the contractors who have been acquired for their services to initiate development work on the schemes.

The letters were issued to Karachi Development Authority (KDA), Malir Development Authority (MDA), Larkana Development Authority (LDA), Hyderabad Development Authority (HDA), Lyari Development Authority, Lyari Expressway Resettlement Programme (LERP), Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), special secretary local government, Sehwan Development Authority (SDA) director general, managing director Karachi Water & Sewerage Board (KWSB), director local government and Sindh local government board.

On March 14, the JIT had asked the Sindh government to provide more records in connection with an ongoing probe into fake accounts’ case.

The investigation team asked the provincial government to provide complete records of development works in Matiari and other districts of Sindh, sources said.

The investigators have started looking into suspicious transactions allegedly made through fake bank accounts of contractors.

Formation of Joint Investigation Team (JIT)

On September 6 last year, the apex court constituted a six-member joint investigation team to investigate the fake bank accounts case.

Six members of the JIT, headed by Additional Director General (Economic Crime Wing) FIA Headquarters Ahsan Sadiq, include Commissioner-IR (Corporate Zone) Regional Tax Officer Imran Latif Minhas, Joint Director BID-I State Bank of Pakistan Majid Hussain, Director National Accountability Bureau Noman Aslam, Muhammad Afzal, Director (Specialized Companies Division) Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan and Brigadier Shahid Parvez of Inter-Services Intelligence.

The case background

Former president Asif Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur were among over a dozen suspects declared absconders in the money-laundering scam.

In the FIA list, Anwar Majeed and his son’s names appeared on top of the list while those of Zardari and Talpur were on the 19th and 20th number, respectively.

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.