Money laundering case: Zardari, Faryal bail extended till 15th

KARACHI: The banking court on Monday extended the interim bail of former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur in money laundering case. The bail has been extended till Friday, March 15. The accused, including Faryal, Hussain Lawai, Anwar Majeed and Nimar Majeed, appeared before the court. The court also heard an appeal filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to transfer the case to Islamabad. The banking court reserved its verdict after the counsels for the accused completed their arguments. Zardari’s counsel, Farooq H Naek, objected to the NAB’s plea for a case transfer.

NAB is trying to pressure the banking court, said Naek. “The Supreme Court didn’t direct transferring the case in its order,” the former president’s counsel said. “The NAB has been exclusively directed to conduct an inquiry.” NAB has made a wrong claim in the name of the apex court, Naek said, adding that it is not an issue of deceit or loss to the national exchequer.

Zardari’s counsel said that the two-month time given to NAB for investigation has lapsed. The counsel for Hussain Lawai and Omni Group also argued against the transfer of the case. Zardari didn’t appear before the court today. His counsel filed an application for his exemption from court appearances.

The Supreme Court had formed an investigation team to probe the fake accounts case. The team submitted a report in which it named 172 people, including Zardari, MNA Faryal, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Sindh Excise Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla, former Sindh chief minister Qaim Ali Shah, former Sindh home minister Sohail Anwar Siyal, Sindh Energy Minister Imtiaz Sheikh and Ali Nawaz Mehar, a former minister of state for industries.

On January 7, the Supreme Court sent the fake accounts case to NAB and told it to wrap up the investigation in two months. The court had earlier said that the references should be filed in Rawalpindi, not Karachi.