Faryal’s physical remand extended by a fortnight
Counsel Khosa says bureau has not yet found any evidence against his client
Faryal Talpur. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
The Accountability Court on Monday granted the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) another 14-day physical remand of Faryal Talpur in mega money laundering and fake bank accounts scam.
The NAB officials produced PPP Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal before AC-II Judge Arshad Malik.
During the course of proceedings, NAB prosecutor told the court that the investigation was interrupted because of Faryal’s production orders to attend the Sindh Assembly session and there was a further need of physical remand to complete the probe.
Her counsel Latif Khosa opposed anti-graft watchdog’s request, saying that the bureau had not yet found any evidence against his client.
Zardari requested the court to grant her exemption to which the judge replied that exemption in physical remand was not possible.
Khosa prayed the court to send Faryal to jail on judicial remand. The court, however, accepted NAB's request, with the directive to produce her again on July 22.
The PPP co-chairperson’s sister was arrested by the anti-corruption watchdog on June 14 for alleged money laundering through fake accounts and has been kept at her house in sector F-8, which has been declared a sub-jail.
The fake accounts saga
Information regarding the fake accounts came to the fore when an intelligence agency picked up a prominent money changer in an unrelated case. In December 2015, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) began a discreet investigation into certain bank accounts through which multi-billion rupee transactions had been made.
The probe was initially shelved but resumed almost a year and a half later with FIA’s State Bank circle initiating a formal inquiry in January 2018. By June, the FIA had several high-profile names on its list but was unable to make headway for several reasons.
It was at this point that the Supreme Court intervened and the then chief justice Mian Saqib Nisar took suo motu notice of the ‘slow progress’ in the money laundering case.
In July, Zardari’s close aides Hussain Lawai, Taha Raza and two others were arrested. Subsequently, the first case was registered in the mega-corruption scandal.
Nisar ordered the formation of a joint investigation team to quicken the pace of the investigation.
The Accountability Court on Monday granted the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) another 14-day physical remand of Faryal Talpur in mega money laundering and fake bank accounts scam.
The NAB officials produced PPP Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal before AC-II Judge Arshad Malik.
During the course of proceedings, NAB prosecutor told the court that the investigation was interrupted because of Faryal’s production orders to attend the Sindh Assembly session and there was a further need of physical remand to complete the probe.
Her counsel Latif Khosa opposed anti-graft watchdog’s request, saying that the bureau had not yet found any evidence against his client.
Zardari requested the court to grant her exemption to which the judge replied that exemption in physical remand was not possible.
Khosa prayed the court to send Faryal to jail on judicial remand. The court, however, accepted NAB's request, with the directive to produce her again on July 22.
The PPP co-chairperson’s sister was arrested by the anti-corruption watchdog on June 14 for alleged money laundering through fake accounts and has been kept at her house in sector F-8, which has been declared a sub-jail.
The fake accounts saga
Information regarding the fake accounts came to the fore when an intelligence agency picked up a prominent money changer in an unrelated case. In December 2015, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) began a discreet investigation into certain bank accounts through which multi-billion rupee transactions had been made.
The probe was initially shelved but resumed almost a year and a half later with FIA’s State Bank circle initiating a formal inquiry in January 2018. By June, the FIA had several high-profile names on its list but was unable to make headway for several reasons.
It was at this point that the Supreme Court intervened and the then chief justice Mian Saqib Nisar took suo motu notice of the ‘slow progress’ in the money laundering case.
In July, Zardari’s close aides Hussain Lawai, Taha Raza and two others were arrested. Subsequently, the first case was registered in the mega-corruption scandal.
Nisar ordered the formation of a joint investigation team to quicken the pace of the investigation.