Zardari challenges court decision to transfer money laundering case to Islamabad

KARACHI: Former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur on Saturday moved the Sindh High Court (SHC) against the banking court's decision to transfer the mega money laundering case to Islamabad.

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) president and his sister along with their counsels filed a petition in the SHC challenging the banking court's order issued a day earlier.

Banking court orders transfer of money laundering case to Islamabad

Court also withdraws bail granted to Asif Zardari, Faryal Talpur and other suspects in the case

In the petition, the former president and his sister upheld that the banking court's order to transfer the case is "illegal" and requested that it be declared null and void. 

A banking court in Karachi on Friday ordered the transfer of the fake bank accounts and mega money laundering case to Islamabad. Following the order, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) summoned Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on March 20.

The case

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

The former president’s other close aide and Omni Group chairman Anwar Majeed a close aide and Omni Group chairman and his son, Abdul Ghani, were arrested by FIA in August 2018.

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.