Karachi banking court summons Omni Group chief, others

Over a dozen cases registered on complaints of private banks

KARACHI: A banking court summoned Omni Group chief Anwar Majeed and other accused while hearing on Monday the petitions filed against them by private banks, pertaining to missing sugar stocks. More than a dozen cases were registered against the Omni Group and the hearing of the petitions moved by Summit Bank, Sindh Bank and National Bank was held at the Karachi banking court.

The counsel for the banks maintained that Omni Group was not willing to pay the arrears.

He said that the conditions imposed by the Omni Group for paying the arrears were unacceptable. He prayed the court to take action against the chief executive officer (CEO), officers and directors of the sugar mills concerned. The counsel maintained that the sugar stock kept as bank surety was missing.

According to the petitioners, the disappearance of the sugar stock without the banks' knowledge was a criminal offence.

The court summoned Anwar Majeed and other accused, including Ali Kamal Majeed, Mustufa Zulqurnain Majeed, Saima Majeed, Nimr Majeed, Minhal Majeed, on October 19. The court also summoned Abdul Ghani Majeed who is currently in Adaila jail.

Several private banks had filed over a dozen complaints against the Omni Group. Former chief justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar had directed to take action against Omni Group's sugar mills. However, later, the court had stopped the authorities from taking action on criminal complaints, as the parties had hoped to reach a settlement.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 15^th, 2019.