SC grants Omni group's Anwar Majeed bail in fake accounts case

Published September 2, 2020
The bail will be rejected if the accused does not cooperate with the anti-graft watchdog, the court said. — DawnNewsTV/File
The bail will be rejected if the accused does not cooperate with the anti-graft watchdog, the court said. — DawnNewsTV/File

The Supreme Court on Wednesday accepted the bail plea of Omni Group Chairman Anwar Majeed in the fake bank accounts case and directed him to cooperate with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The bail will be rejected if the accused does not cooperate with the anti-graft watchdog, the court said.

The court also directed that Majeed submit a bank guarantee of Rs100 million to the Supreme Court registrar in addition to placing his name on the no-fly list. Majeed will be required to submit his passport with the court.

A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Mushir Alam, presided over the hearing.

During today's hearing, the NAB prosecutor said that the Omni group owner had been at the hospital since day one and had not appeared before the bureau so far.

"Fifteen investigations and four references have been postponed due to his non-cooperation," he said.

At this Justice Alam said "Anwar Majeed should not obstruct investigations."

Majeed's lawyer Munir A. Malik contended that his client had been advised to undergo surgery in the United States or the United Kingdom, adding that the co-accused in the case, former president Asif Ali Zardari, was also out on bail.

Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin said that the accused suffered from a serious heart condition and availing medical treatment was his basic right. However, the judge added, permission could not be given to the accused to travel abroad.

"Forget about going abroad. No one will go abroad now," said Justice Amin.

In June, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had rejected Majeed's bail application in the fake accounts case.

The fake bank accounts case pertains to alleged money laundering worth billions of rupees through 29 accounts opened in three banks.

The Federal Investigation Agency had named PPP leader Asif Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur, Anwar Majeed, his sons and over 10 others as accused in an interim reference filed in a banking court in August 2018.

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