ISLAMABAD: The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) informed the Supreme Court on Monday that another 33 suspicious accounts were found during the course of inquiry into fake bank accounts case involving former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur.

With the unearthing of 33 more accounts, the total number of suspicious accounts rose to 77, said additional director general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Ahsan Sadiq who was appointed as the JIT head by the apex court on Sept 6.

The report, which was furnished before the court, also suggested that the number of suspects involved in money laundering through fake accounts increased to 334, while 210 companies were found to have links with the case of which 47 were associated with the Omni Group of Companies.

Headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, a three-judge SC bench, which had taken up the alleged money laundering case through fake accounts, asked the JIT to investigate whether sugar mills were owned by Omni group or were held as “Benami”.

JIT chief says tally of suspicious accounts in case involving ex-president Zardari and his sister Faryal has risen to 77

The SC also ordered immediate shifting of Khawaja Anvar Majeed and Abdul Ghani Majeed of the Omni Group and former Pakistan Stock Exchange chairman Hussain Lawai, who is considered close to ex-president Asif Ali Zardari, to jail from hospital. All are accused in the Rs35 billion fake accounts case.

The Majeeds were arrested by the FIA on the SC premises on Aug 15.

The order was passed after perusal of the reports of the surgeon general of Pakistan who was appointed by the apex court on Sept 17 to determine the veracity of their claims about deteriorating health. The report presented by Additional Attorney General Syed Nayyar Abbas Rizvi suggested that Anvar Majeed was a ‘normal cardiac patient’ who had already been taking the required treatment.

While Ghani Majeed needed surgery for haemorrhoids, it could be managed outside the hospital if he was kept under constant observation for any acute bleeding, the medical board noted.

His counsel Shahid Hamid had requested the court to order shifting of his client straight to the South City Hospital for surgery, rejecting the impression that he intended to remain in hospital to avoid interrogation.

But the CJP asked the counsel to advise Ghani Majeed that he should get appointment for surgery from the hospital and whenever he was required by the private hospital for the surgery, he could be shifted to it.

About Anvar Majeed, the counsel said one of his heart valves had shrunk and he needed constant medical attention.

The court observed that the medical reports suggested that Ghani Majeed was perfectly all right and likewise nothing was wrong with the heart of Anvar Majeed.

The CJP then remarked that it seemed that the counsel was under tremendous stress as if the court orders were contrary to his expectation. The counsel, however, replied in the negative.

During the proceedings, the CJP regretted that attempts were being made to show large amounts of stolen money as legally obtained wealth.

Trial court restrained from issuing stay order

The SC also restrained the trial court not to issue any stay orders or any interim injunctions on application moved by the accused in the case without taking the apex court into confidence first.

The direction came when senior counsel Shahid Hamid told the court that his clients had moved applications before the trial court to unfreeze the accounts since the group was not in a position even to pay salaries to its employees.

When the court asked about the real culprit behind the entire episode and about the accountant of the group, JIT head Ahsan Sadiq replied that the information could not be shared in the open court. However, he said that the accountant was currently out of the country but the JIT had approached Interpol to bring him back.

The SC also directed the senior counsel to ask his client to arrange JIT expenses which could be done by selling one of the houses owned by the group. The counsel, however, replied that all the assets and bank accounts of the group had been frozen.

The CJP then told the JIT head that he could approach it whenever he needed assistance of the apex court in the inquiry.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2018