Zardari appears before FIA in money laundering case

ISLAMABAD: Former president, Asif Ali Zardari, appeared before the Federal Investigation Agency today (Wednesday) in money laundering case, ARY News reported.

The FIA personnel stopped vehicles in the entourage of the Pakistan People’s Party co-chairperson from entering the building.

Zardari was questioned about transactions of bank accounts related to his company.

Earlier in the day, Zardari’s sister Faryal Talpur had also arrived at the FIA office in the same case.

According to sources, FIA investigators handed over a questionnaire to her related to queries regarding fake bank accounts. She was also questioned about bank account transactions of Zardari Group.

Sources informed that the questionnaire given to Ms Talpur also had queries related to Omni Group, owned by Zardari’s close aide Anwar Majeed, and Thatta Sugar Mill.

Supreme Court had constituted a six-member joint investigation team to investigate the fake bank accounts case. The JIT, headed by Additional Director General (Economic Crime Wing) FIA Headquarters Ahsan Sadiq, include, Joint Director BID-I State Bank of Pakistan Majid Hussain, Director National Accountability Bureau Noman Aslam and Director (Specialized Companies Division) Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan, Muhammad Afzal.

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

According to the FIR registered by FIA, transactions of billions of rupees were made into suspicious accounts, including the Zardari Group, owned by the PPP leaders.

In December 2016, the Pakistan Rangers conducted raids at the Karachi office of the Omni Group of Companies and the residence of its owner Anwar Majeed and confiscated record allegedly related to money laundering.