Verdict reserved on Lawai's plea for B-class jail category

KARACHI: A banking court on Tuesday reserved its verdict on the request of former Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) chairman Hussain Lawai’s for availing B-class facilities in prison.

For the hearing of billions-rupee money laundering case, Hussain Lawai was brought to the court on a wheel chair where his legal counsel prayed before the court “My client is severely sick and undergoing a treatment for heart’s disease, therefore, he should be provided B-class facilities in prison.”

However, the judge remarked, “Why does Lawai need B-class facilities when he is already in the hospital and not jail?”

Lawai’s lawyer referred that accused Anwar Majeed and Abdul Ghani Majeed are also under treatment at the hospital.

The judge then snapped, “Who gave them [Anwar Majeed and Abdul Ghani] permission to be admitted to a hospital? We did not give them any permission,” while clarifying “No one can be shifted without informing the trial court.”

The court adjourned the hearing till September 25.

Last week, a banking court had rejected bail pleas of Lawai and Taha Raza in a money laundering case.

The case background

The Supreme Court in July had taken up a suo motu case regarding fake accounts that revolves around a 2015 inquiry into the suspicious transactions when 29 ‘benami’ bank accounts were identified. Seven individuals were found involved in transacting Rs 35 bn suspiciously.

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

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

Hussain Lawai and Taha Raza are also accused in this case.

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 allegedly laundered money.