Money-laundering case: FIA to approach SC over Zardari, Talpur's non-appearance

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has decided to approach the Supreme Court (SC) over non-appearance of Asif Ali Zardari and Faryal Talpur before the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probing Rs35 billion money laundering case. On August 1, the FIA issued notices to Zardari and Talpur to appear before a JIT in Islamabad on Saturday. But the duo again failed to appear before the FIA team today. Talpur also demanded removal of the head of a joint investigation team formed on the FIA's directive to probe money-laundering allegations against them. Citing reservations about JIT head Najaf Mirza, Talpur's counsel Farooq H Naek petitioned the FIA on Saturday to replace him and constitute a new investigative team to probe the matter. Naek told Geo News that Zardari had registered an FIR against Najaf Mirza back in 2005. Expressing his reservations about the JIT head, the counsel said a transparent investigation into the matter was not possible if Mirza was not replaced. "We are ready to cooperate with the FIA," Naek said, adding that Talpur could not appear before the JIT as she was in Larkana to submit her asset details. He requested for a new date for his client to appear before the JIT. Meanwhile, the FIA decided to approach the apex court with regard to non-appearance of the former president and his sister in the case. It has been learnt that the agency decided to prepare a notice for the sake of any investigation in the light of court orders. The FIA has also prepared a report pertaining to its investigations in the case so far, which would be submitted with the Supreme Court on the next hearing of the case.

On Friday, sources had informed Geo News that a team of FIA officials had collected evidence in the Rs35 billion money laundering case, and handed it over to the JIT.

According to the sources, money trail of Rs23 billion out of Rs35 billion had been obtained so far.

The sources had said that the JIT had decided not to register further cases with regard to money laundering until the next hearing of the case by the Supreme Court on August 6.