FIA finds model Ayyan Ali's link in fictitious accounts case: sources

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigative Agency (FIA) on Wednesday found a link between model Ayyan Ali's accounts and fictitious bank accounts used for money laundering in the country, sources informed Geo News.

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

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

The sources privy to the development said that transactions were made into the celebrity model's bank account through fictitious accounts.

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.

The case was initially registered in 2015 against former Pakistan Stock Exchange chairman Lawai.

In August, Lawai and banker Taha Raza were detained and booked for allegedly facilitating the opening of 29 ‘fake’ accounts through which suspicious transactions were made to different companies, including M/s Zardari Group.