Fake accounts scam: JIT seeks record of 34 Cos from NAB

ISLAMABAD: The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probing a fake accounts scam sought record of 34 companies owned by the country’s bigwigs from the anti-corruption watchdog if their matters have been into probe at any stage since 2008.

The latest move may give fake accounts case, involving a big scam of estimated Rs 50 billion, a new direction by exposing some key individuals and entities allegedly involved in this dirty business of money laundering in the coming weeks. Fake Accounts JIT, officials said on Wednesday, is also in process of fetching data of 210 companies whose net assets’ worth is said to be over Rs 500 billion.

“The JIT sought details of cases of M/s Zardari Group Pvt Ltd, M/s Land Marks, Bahria Town Karachi Project and Zain Malik, M/s Karim Khani and Bros, M/s Ashraf D Baloch Company, M/s Sher Mugheri & Company, M/s Alfa Zulu Company, M/s Waseem Builders, M/s Ruby Builders and Developers Ltd, M/s Ruby Rubicon Ltd, M/s Princeton Builders Ltd, M/s Qasis Drilling Corporation, M/s Pak Oasis Pvt Ltd, M/s Sky Pak Holding Ltd, M/s Rising Star Holding, M/s Sujawal Agro Farms Ltd, M/s Tando Allah Yar Sugar Mills Pvt Ltd, M/s Omni Pvt Ltd, M/s Agro Farms Thatta, Haji Mureed Akbar, M/s A-One International, M/s Lucky International, M/s Logistic Trading, M/s Iqbal Metals, M/s Royal International, M/s Umair Associates, M/s Nasser Abdullah Lootha, M/s Ansari Sugar Mills, M/s Omni Polymer Packages Pvt Ltd, M/s Pak Ehtanol Pvt Ltd and M/s Chamber Sugar Mills from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), if it is probing any case related to these companies,” revealed the JIT’s maiden 30-page report submitted to the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

The names of 96 persons including former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister MPA Faryal Talpur connected to this case have been put on the Provisional National Immigration List (PNIL) and the Exit Control List (ECL). Among the main accused whose names have been placed on PNIL and ECL are Abbas Afridi, Qudoos Chachar, Siddiq Adamjee, Siraj Sommorow, Nadeem Bhutto, Ali Zardari, Younis Butt, Farah Deeba, Mustafa Memon, Nadeem Mandvi Wala and this list goes on.

“Apart from the Omni Group owned by AG Majeed and his family, about major depositors and debtors include Zain Malik, Zardari Group, Arif Habib, Parthenon Pvt Ltd, Ghulam Qadir and contractors/builders including Bahria Town, Mustafa Memon, government contractors including Ashraf D Baloch Pvt Ltd and Sher Mugheri. During investigation additional hundreds of persons and companies have come to the fore as depositors and beneficiaries of these accounts.

The role of government contractors, D Baloch and Sher Mugheri in particular need probe in relation to award and execution of government contracts. The chief secretary Sindh has been requested to provide details of all contracts awarded to contractors by the Works Department,” read the JIT report prepared by Ehsan Sadiq.

The JIT in its report also available with the Geo News sought help of SECP, SBP, NADRA, FBR, NAB and other departments to obtain details of 334 individuals and 210 companies and its directors, employees and clients to further probe the case. Officials associated with the investigation process revealed on Wednesday that the JIT intensified probe into KAM Crown International Trading Company’s accounts revealed many secret of individuals and companies which allegedly credited/un-credited some Rs27 billion from 2013 to 2015. Confidential statements of Habib Bank AG Zurich UAE account (A/c #02010420311105452842) and Emirates NBD (A/C # 101490917001) exclusively obtained by the Geo News revealed more than 500 transactions worth around Rs27 billion in Dubai.

The UAE-based private company is allegedly owned by the Abdul Ghani Majeed family. Two different accounts maintained by the said company witnessed transactions worth around UAED833mn (Rs27bn) from 2013-14 to 2014-15. Transactions were made with Ali and Sons who obtained UAED10mn while Hopeway General Trading credited UAED8.7mn on May 12, 2014 and Apr 6, 2014.Azhar Technical Contracting credited with UAED 21mn on Apr 15, 2014, Tanveer Mansoor Trading with UAED12mn on 5th Apr 2014, Qaisar Ali Khan with UAED 7mn, Saleh Alzarooni with UAED 13mn, Fareeda Khan with UAED 3mn, Alfutaim Motors with UAED 3mn, ADCB with Mrs Nazli Majeed with UAED 3mn, Obaid Jatoi’s hotel payment of UAED7mn to Manfred Schreiber London, Barlas General Trading was credited UAED3mn by KAM Company in Jun 2, 2014. A transaction, Dec 30, 2014, showed that a sum of UAED0.38mn paid to the Trimeta Real Estate (Brokerage for Villa E-97 Abdul Ghani Majid), Zulfiqar Wajid Hassan, son of Wajid Shamsul Hassan, Pak ex envoy to London also allegedly received UAED1.52mn through multiple transactions in January 2015.

An estimated one million UAED were transferred to Manazel Specialist Real Estate towards Villa D-3D424 (Agha Shershah) Abu Dhabi in February 2015 from these accounts, revealed the report. The company transferred USD100, 000 to SDMI Kannangara of Sri Lanka, UAED0.8mn to Nanki International India and EUR2, 848 to Nelson Kitiya Kenya through multiple transactions in years 2014 and 2015.

The company also credited around EUR28, 000 into accounts of Hotel Scribe Paris for Khawaja Anver Majid and his family. The company had closing balance of UAED87mn by end of 2014 while UAED1.86m by end of 2013. The company also credited USD16, 500 to Conch Nuras Hong Kong and $41,125.98 to Kung Long Hong Kong in 2014, the statement of the company read. Among other beneficiaries are: Al-Barq Electronics Trading Company, Galaxy Hero International Cargo, Conpact Electronics Trading Company, Asif Nawab, Shahbaz Noor Trading, Agha Shershah of Center Academy London, Aslam, Tempo Global, Arif Khan, Asif Nawab, Conch Nuras Hong Kong, Christopher Hide Ltd, Fakharuddin Properties credited UAED4mn in 2015, Arrow Express Packing and Shipping, Al-Tawarak Building were credited in million of UAED during the said period. Transaction was also made to Muavia Waqar Pairis on behalf of Abdul Ghani Majeed worth UAED3.6mn on April 27, 2015.EKO Green Power Limited UK credited UAED0.3mn and Khushi Trading Company and Yansoon Service given UAED0.9mn, Fatima Ltd and Zeeshan and Axor Gold Trading were paid UAED2mn and Ashfaq Leghari and Naushad Alam received UAED0.1m.