SC orders Anwar Majeed, son and Hussain Lawai be shifted to Islamabad

LAHORE: The Supreme Court on Saturday ordered that Omni Group chairperson Anwar Majeed, his son Abdul Ghani Majeed and former Pakistan Stock Exchange chairman Hussain Lawai who are under arrest in connection to a money laundering case be shifted to Islamabad.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar heard a case against fake bank accounts that were used to launder billions out of the country at the SC’s Lahore Registry.

During the hearing, Majeed’s counsel repeatedly requested that he be investigated in Karachi. However, the chief justice dismissed the request and ordered that Anwar Majeed, Abdul Ghani Majeed and Hussain Lawai be shifted to Islamabad.

“Anwar Majeed should be shifted to PIMS Hospital and AG Majeed and Lawai to Adiala jail,” Justice Nisar said.

“These people are influential and have power in Karachi. They should be shifted to Islamabad so an independent investigation can be carried out,” the top judge said. “After the investigation is complete, we will see whether they should be shifted back to Karachi.”

Remarking on the request of Majeed’s counsel for investigations to be held in Karachi, Justice Ijazul Ahsan said, Your insistence is giving the impression that there is another reason behind it.

The chief justice also said, “If Anwar Majeed cannot travel on a normal plane then send an air ambulance for him.”

Further, during the hearing, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General Bashir Memon informed the court, “Anwar Majeed is not cooperating in the inquiry.” To this, the chief justice remarked, “The joint investigation team (JIT) has now been given full authority and a report should be presented within 10 days. We formed a JIT to probe how many earned through kickbacks was whitened.”

Majeed’s counsel also told the bench, “Omni Group ows Rs1.2 billion to Silk Bank, Rs1.8 billion to Summit Bank, Rs4.98 billion to National Bank and Rs4.6 billion to Sindh Bank. This amount will be paid back in the form of property.”

At this, the JIT said, “Omni Group is telling rates higher than the market value of its property.”

The chief justice then said, “Heads of all banks should submit affidavits regarding prices of the properties.”

Further during the hearing, the counsel of missing persons said that two witnesses who appeared before the JIT in connection to the fake accounts case have been missing and should be recovered. Justice Nisar responded, “Ask the Sindh chief minister or his boss to recover them. Are you understanding what I am saying?”

The case

The Federal Investigation Agency is investigating 32 people in relation to money laundering from fictitious accounts, including former president 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 another close aide and Omni Group chairman, Anwar Majeed, and his son, Abdul Ghani Majeed, were also arrested by the FIA in August. Lawai, Majeed and his son remain under custody.

Earlier this month, FIA sources informed that the mastermind of the money laundering and fake accounts case, Aslam Masood, had been arrested by the Interpol from Jeddah.