SHC seeks notification of fake accounts case’s transfer from FIA to NAB

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday directed an investigation officer of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to produce notification with regard to the transfer of the multi-billion money laundering and fake accounts case from the FIA to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The direction came on bail applications filed by former head of Summit bank Hussain Lawai, who is considered a close aide to former president and Pakistan Peoples Party Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, and banker Taha Raza against their arrests in the case.

A counsel for the applicants submitted that they were arrested by the FIA in the fake accounts and money laundering case; however, the agency failed to submit charge sheet before the trial court. The lawyer sought post-arrest bail of his clients on medical grounds.

An FIA investigation officer submitted that the case had been transferred to NAB due to a Supreme Court order. He informed the SHC that officials of investigation agencies had also recently held a meeting in this regard. The officer sought time till the next date of hearing to submit the notification regarding the transfer of the investigation from the FIA to NAB.

A division bench of the SHC, headed by Justice Aftab Ahmed Gorar, observed that if the investigation officer failed to produce any order from the NAB chairman regarding the transfer of the investigation, the bail applications would be heard and decided in accordance with the law. The court directed the investigation officer to submit the order with regard to the transfer by February 9.

Omni Group head Anwar Majeed and his son Abdul Ghani Majeed were also arrested by the FIA in the multi-billion money laundering and fake accounts case. Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur and others have already obtained pre-arrest bail from the SHC and the Islamabad High Court following the submission of interim charge sheet before a banking court by the FIA in which they were shown as beneficiary of the illegal fake accounts.

In the interim charge sheet, the FIA had alleged that Omni Group directors were involved in opening of bogus accounts, placement of illegitimate funds for routing of funds amounting billions of rupees and the amount was credited in the fake accounts of a private firm through cheques of the co-accused involved in the scam.

NAB gets man’s custody

The administrative judge of accountability courts remanded on Wednesday a man allegedly involved in illegal procurement of a 4000-yard land in the upscale Clifton neighborhood in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau for two weeks.

NAB officials produced Abbas Ali Agha before the judge and contended that he in connivance with Sindh Building Control Authority’s former director-general Manzoor Qadir alias Kaka was involved in the illegal restoration of the plot situated at Nahr-e-Khayyam in Clifton Block 5.

They added that Agha was one of the directors of the Ocean Pvt. Ltd. which through illicit means procured the plot worth Rs2 billion. “The initial interrogation has led to revealing pointations that would serve as potential leads,” a statement issued by NAB read.

The judge remanded the suspect in NAB custody till February 13 and sought a progress report from the investigators at the next hearing. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Karachi on Wednesday had arrested the director of the firm wanted in an investigation against the former chief of the Sindh Building Control Authority, Manzoor Qadir aka Manzoor Kaka.

According to a NAB spokesman, Abbas Ali Agha, who was one of the Directors of M/s Ocean Pvt Ltd, was arrested in a case pertaining to Nahr-e-Khayyam plot. The arrested suspect in connivance with Qadir was involved in illegal restoration of a 4000 Sq yard Plot worth Rs2 billion situated at the Nahr-e-Khayam in Clifton Block 5.

Agha along with other directors was illegal beneficiary of the plot who disposed off the property by cheating a purchaser party.

Rangers’ raid

The paramilitary force claimed to have arrested two suspects during a raid in Malir City. According to a Rangers spokesman, Mohammad Moseen and Junaid alias Commando were apprehended for their involvement in a number of street crime cases and drug peddling.

Narcotics and weapons were seized from the suspects and they were later handed over to police for further legal action. On Tuesday, the Sindh Rangers claimed to have arrested three notorious criminals, including a suspect who fled away from a hospital, during an intelligence-based raid.

According to a Rangers spokesman, Jawed Akhtar along with his two companions, Irfan Pathan and Abdul Sattar, were arrested in Korangi. The initial investigations showed that Akhtar was under treatment at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC) and on January 10 he snatched a submachine gun (SMG) from a policeman deployed upon him and fled from the hospital with the help of his wife, Aneela.

The police recovered the snatched SMG and a 9mm pistol, a 30 bore pistol, three hand grenades, bullets of different calibers, six cellphones, eleven mobile sims, seven memory cards, four USBs and a car from the suspect.