KARACHI: A banking court granted seven days’ custody of Omni Group head Anwar Majeed and his son Abdul Ghani Majeed to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Friday.
The court granted seven days’ physical remand of the duo to FIA for investigation into the fake accounts case.
Two days earlier Majeed, a close aide of Asif Ali Zardari, and his son were apprehended by the FIA from outside the Supreme Court premises.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar had summoned Anwar Majeed and his family members to appear on August 13 but they had not appeared before the court.
The CJP had rejected Majeed family’s notice of absence, contemplated charging with contempt of court, and summoned them to appear in court at the earliest.
The court was hearing a case pertaining to money laundering through fake bank accounts when Anwar Majeed and his sons appeared before the court.
His three other sons Nimr, Kamal, and Zulqernain were placed on the Exit Control List (ECL).
During the hearing, the bench also dismissed the petition of Omni Group counsel, Shahid Hamid, seeking pre-arrest bail for his clients.
As the hearing went under way, the CJP remarked that Majeed and his family can be taken into custody at the discretion of the FIA. Anwar Majeed and his sons are not required to be present in court for future hearings.
Justice Nisar also rejected Majeed’s plea to unfreeze his bank accounts. He directed the Majeed family to appear before the FIA like Zardari and and Faryal Talpur and include them in the investigations of fake bank accounts.
The fake accounts case
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 Rs35bn suspiciously.
Seven individuals were said to be involved in using those accounts for suspicious transactions. The accounts were allegedly used to channel funds received through kickbacks.
The investigation has, however, revealed that the amount laundered can go up to Rs100billion.
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