Omni Group CFO in FIA custody with Interpol’s help

Masood is said to be mastermind behind laundering Rs100b through fake accounts

RAWALPINDI: In the fake accounts and money laundering case, Omni Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Aslam Masood, who was apprehended from Saudi Arabia by Interpol in October 2018, was shifted to Pakistan on Friday night.

On reaching the New Islamabad International Airport, a four-member FIA team, headed by Additional Director Malik Tariq, took the CFO into custody.

According to sources, a case no 4/2018 was filed against Masood for facilitating in opening fake bank accounts by using Computerised National Identity Cards of various people. Apart from Masood, some other people were also arrested in the case.

Sources said Masood’s non-bailable arrest warrants were issued twice. However, it was revealed that he had gone into hiding overseas in January 2018 after which the FIA issued a red warrant for the arrest of the suspect and contacted the Interpol.



In October 2018, the Interpol apprehended Masood when he landed in Jeddah from London. After that, the Pakistani authorities took measures for the transfer of the suspect to Pakistan and sent an FIA team to take him into custody.

Sources said Masood was brought back to Pakistan on Friday from Saudi Arabia in flight SV-722 with high security.

As soon as the flight landed at the New Islamabad International Airport, an FIA team took him into custody.

It is pertinent to mention that in the fake currency accounts and money laundering case, a joint investigation team was formed under the supervision of FIA Additional Director Tariq, which has completed its work and now the investigation of the case is with the National Accountability Bureau.

Masood’s arrest is being termed an important development in the case.

Sources said the Omni Group CFO is said to be the mastermind behind the fake accounts used to launder Rs100 billion out of the country.



The FIA is investigating 32 people, including former president Asif Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur, in laundering money through fake accounts.

Zardari’s close aide Omni Group Chairman Anwar Majeed and his son, Abdul Ghani Majeed, were arrested by the FIA in August 2018. Another side of the former president, Hussain Lawai, was arrested in July 2018.

Chairing a meeting at the NAB Headquarters, Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal has said the bureau is taking serious measures to bring back the people who looted billions of rupees and fled the country.

“NAB has formulated a policy to root out corruption from the country once and for all,” said the chairman.