SC summons record of Omni Group’s missing sugar stocks

Orders jail authorities to confiscate mobile phones in use of accused

KARACHI: The Supreme Court has ordered the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to present complete record of the sugar stocks that disappeared from various Omni Group sugar mills seized by the agency after their owners were arrested in view of their alleged involvement in a huge money laundering case.

Hearing a suo motu case regarding the scandal that also involves the top Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leadership, a three-judge bench of the apex court headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Saturday also ordered authorities to make sure the accused owners do not use cell phones in jail.



The CJP expressed his anger over the disappearance of the seized sugar stocks. He said out of Rs14 billion assets, Rs11 billion worth of sugar had disappeared. “Where were the FIA and police when the trucks of the stolen sugar were loaded? Who are the persons involved?” he said.

FIA Director General Bashir Memon informed the court that the Omni Group owns nine sugar mills and nine cases have been registered against the group for disappearance of the seized sugar.

He said the mills include Naudero Sugar Mills, Bandhi Sugar Mills, Khoski Sugar Mills, Ansari Sugar Mills, Tando Allahyar Sugar Mills, Bawani Sugar Mills, New Dadu Sugar Mills, Lord Sugar Mills and Chamar Sugar Mills.

Answering questions from the bench, the FIA official said the Omni Group owner is also its chief executive and offices of the groups are located in Karachi and interior Sindh. The court inquired as to why guardians were not appointed at the mills and if there was a problem then the FIA should have made a request.

The court also ordered presenting the responsible persons before the court.

The FIA official said the Omni Group’s arrested owner Anvar Majeed may have been involved in the disappearance of the sugar. The CJP asked the FIA director general to visit him in jail and investigate.

The counsel for the Omni Group adopted the stance that the Omni Group's requests should be reviewed.

"Until guilt is established, no one has the right to insult anyone and as long as we have taken a suo motu notice, the banking court will not issue any decision. All matters of the Omni Group will be seen by us," the CJP remarked.

The lawyer also requested the court that Anvar be provided B-Class facility in jail. The CJP remarked that a ‘theft’ had been exposed but still a request for a better class was being made.

The CJP also expressed concern that accused were using mobile phones in jail, adding that the court would take strict action if the mobile phones used by the accused were not confiscated.

“They are passing instructions while sitting in the jail. Action will be taken against the IG [inspector general] jail if the mobile phones are not taken away," the CJP noted.



The Omni Group lawyer said if the FIA did not arrest the Omni Group director then his statement could be recorded that day [Saturday]. “This is an FIA matter and we cannot ask them. A case will be registered according to the law against those who are involved in illegal activities,” said the CJP.

Later, the court summoned complete record of the Omni Group on October 30. After the hearing, the FIA took into custody Anvar Majeed's son Namar who was present in the SC Karachi Registry.

Senior lawyer Naeem Bukhari in an unofficial conversation with the media said the Omni Group director is in Islamabad. He said the cases are being registered against the bank director which is wrong. “Cases must be registered against those who are responsible,” he added.

Meanwhile, the National Bank of Pakistan has filed a criminal complaint against the group in the banking court, which called for registering an FIR against those who have to return the bank's money.