Money-laundering case: Interim bail of Zardari, Faryal extended till 23rd

KARACHI: A banking court on Monday extended the interim pre-arrest bail of former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur till January 23 in an ongoing money laundering case.

The former president and his sister appeared before the court as the interim bail granted to them ended today. On December 21, the court had extended their pre-arrest bail till January 7 in the mega money laundering and fake bank accounts case.

During the hearing, the counsels of the suspects requested the court to order the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to submit a final charge sheet. However, the judges said that the Supreme Court has halted proceedings in the banking court. “We cannot proceed without the top court’s permission,” the judges added.

The court then extended Zardari and Talpur’s interim pre-arrest bail and adjourned the hearing of the case till January 23. 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 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. 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.