NAB submits details of fake accounts probe against Zardari in IHC

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau on Tuesday submitted in the Islamabad High Court details of its ongoing investigation against former president Asif Ali Zardari in the long-running fake bank accounts case.

NAB Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi submitted the bureau’s report detailing the ongoing inquiries against Zardari, after the Pakistan Peoples Party leader had petitioned the court on April 29 to summon the details of all the ongoing cases and inquiries against him.

In the report, NAB has stated that there are a total of 26 inquiries being conducted in relation to the fake accounts case. The bureau has also said that it started its probe into the fake accounts on the Supreme Court’s orders.

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The accountability watchdog has further mentioned that Zardari has a role in five inquiries and three probes.

Arrests warrants have been issued against Zardari in only one case, the report stated.

A copy of the NAB report was sent to Zardari’s legal team on the court’s directive.

The case

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is investigating more than 30 people in relation to money laundering from fictitious accounts, including Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur. Zardari’s close aide Hussain Lawai was arrested in July 2018 in connection with the probe.

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

Several ‘benami’ accounts at multiple 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.