Joint-investigation team records statements of Zardari, Faryal Talpur

FIA began investigations against Zardari and his aides in January

KARACHI: Former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur, on Wednesday, separately recorded their statements before the joint-investigation team (JIT) in the mega money laundering case. FIA began investigations against Zardari and his close aide, Anwar Majeed, earlier this year in January, and the first case was registered a few months ago in light of initial investigations.

Omni Group's chairperson, Majeed, his son, Abdul Ghani Majeed, and former president of Summit Bank, Hussain Lawai, have been arrested in the money laundering case. As the investigations expanded, the Supreme Court appointed a JIT which has been involved in large scale investigations for the past two months against the people involved in money laundering and their aides.  Investigations in the case have now entered their final phase and the JIT has started recording statements of business groups and their shareholders in this regard.



The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) summoned Zardari Group's shareholders, Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Talpur for investigations on Wednesday. While Bilawal could not appear before the JIT on Wednesday, Talpur and Zardari appeared individually and recorded their statements.

Talpur reached the temporary JIT headquarters, situated in the FIA complex, by 11:15am. She left the building after approximately a one and a half hour long investigation, around 12:30pm. Similarly, Zardari reached the JIT headquarters around 2pm and left after one and a half hour. Before Zardari's arrival, security teams had arrived and a bomb disposal squad along with sniffing dogs had cleared the area. Sharp shooters were deployed on the roofs of the buildings and a rangers' team was also present.

According to sources, a six member JIT team interrogated Zardari and Talpur and recorded their statements regarding the money transferred in Zardari Group's account. They were also interrogated regarding the other facts coming into light during the JIT investigations, including the illegal allotment of public land in Sindh, corruption in different Sindh government institutions, the provision of facilities to influential property developer in violation with the code of conduct, the overseas transfer of money through hawala and hundi, and questions regarding overseas properties. The two Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders did not talk to the media on this occasion.

Meanwhile, the JIT has summoned the authorities of Sindh Abadghar Board to get the details of billions of rupees unpaid dues and the exploitation of Sindh's farmers by the Omni Group. Sindh Abadghar Board Vice President Ameer Jamali, who belongs to Zardari's ancestral village, appeared before the JIT on Wednesday.

Speaking to the media, Jamali said that he had appeared before the JIT earlier and had presented evidence relating to Zardari, his friend Anwar Majeed, and others. He said that he had come from Nawabshah to appear before the JIT. "In Sindh there is neither any chief minister nor any prime minister. Asif Zardari has all the authority," said Jamali, adding that Anwar Majeed and the Omni Group are actually Zardari's front men.

He said that he is appearing before the JIT as a witness and alleged that the Omni Group's sugar mills have looted Rs1.30b from the farmers. He further said that loans were obtained from the Sindh Bank by submitting fake documents of the sugar mill. According to Jamali, Zardari has 12 sugar mills and eight out of those 12 are run by Anwar Majeed while the rest are run by Zardari's relatives.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 29^th, 2018.