Islamabad (Staff Report): The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday submitted details of inquiries against former president Asif Ali Zardari in the fake bank accounts cases in the Islamabad High Court (IHC)
According to the report submitted by NAB’s Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi, the ongoing inquiries against Zardari, after the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader had petitioned the court on April 29 to summon the details of all the ongoing cases and inquiries against him.
The report said that the investigation was started upon the directions of the Supreme Court (SC). It was informed that arrest warrants for Asif Ali Zardari have been issued in only one case, but the PPP co-chairman is involved in five other NAB inquiries and three investigations.
The accountability watchdog, in its report added that two references have been filed against Asif Ali Zardari, and six more are in inquiry and investigation phase. A total of 26 inquiries and investigations have been ongoing in fake bank accounts case, the report said.
Meanwhile, a copy of the NAB report was sent to Zardari’s legal team on the court’s directive.
This is pertinent to mention that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is investigating 32 people, including Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur in connection with money laundering through fake accounts.
Zardari’s close aide Hussain Lawai was arrested in July 2018 in connection with the probe.
Former president's other close aide and Omni Group chairman Anwar Majeed and his son Abdul Ghani were also arrested by FIA in this connection in August 2018.
As per sources, several ‘benami’ accounts were allegedly opened in 2013, 2014 and 2015 in some banks from where transactions worth billions of rupees were made.
According to FIA sources, the amount is said to be black money gathered from various kickbacks, commissions and bribes.