Anwar Majeed seeks B-class prison facilities

Banking court directs FIA to submit reply in the matter

KARACHI: A banking court in the port city sought a reply from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) after Omni Group's Anwar Majeed – under investigation in the fake bank accounts case – prayed upon the court for an upgrade in prison facilities.

The Omni group’s owner is currently in judicial remand as FIA investigates his alleged role in money laundering of Rs35 billion through fake bank accounts.

In the petition, the accused maintained that he was an educated person hence deserved the right to B-class jail. The court sought recommendations from the FIA on the plea and directed it to submit a reply.

It is pertinent to note that the banking court previously sustained a petition filed by Hussain Lawai, another accused in the fake accounts case, seeking an upgrade to B-class jail while a reply from the FIA is awaited on Abdul Ghani Majeed’s application.



The case
The FIA had taken Majeed into custody on August 15 from outside the Supreme Court where he and his family members appeared before the three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, which was hearing a suo motu case pertaining to alleged money laundering of Rs35 billion through fake accounts.

Subsequently, the names of his four family members besides his own were placed on the Exit Control List on the apex court’s order.

PPP co-chairperson Zardari, sister Faryal Talpur, former Pakistan Stock Exchange chairman Hussain Lawai and Summit Bank Senior Vice-President Taha Raza are among those being investigated.



According to the FIR registered against Lawai and others, billions of rupees were deposited into the fake accounts and subsequently transferred to beneficiaries, including the company owned by Zardari and his sister, the Zardari Group. The Zardari Group received Rs15 million of the laundered money, according to the FIR.