NAB files supplementary reference against Zardari, Talpur

Lawyers, party leader meet former president at PIMS


Our Correspondent ​ November 25, 2019
Lawyers, party leader meet former president at PIMS. PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Rawalpindi on Monday filed a supplementary reference against former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, his sister and Sindh Assembly member (MPA) Faryal Talpur and others.

According to a news release, Zardari and Talpur, in connivance with other accused, misappropriated funds of the Summit Bank by releasing unauthorised payments to Regent Services and various fake/benami vendors, including A-One International for purchase of G-2 land and its construction.

The accused are also involved in approval of fraudulent finance facility to beneficial owners of Alfa Zulu Co Pvt Ltd and Plaza Enterprises Pvt Ltd through benemidars and its misappropriation by placing in fake accounts as well as routing through different entities.

NAB recovers Rs290m in fake accounts case

A sum of Rs1,200 million from sundry account of the Summit Bank Limited was illegally transferred and misappropriated with mala fide intention by the accused persons. Likewise, a sum of Rs950 million was also transferred from the sundry account of the Summit Bank to extend undue benefit and favour to accused persons especially Zardari, NAB alleged.

The release said that that investigation established that Anver Majid, Abdul Ghani Majid, Mustafa Z Majid and Imran Khan played pivotal role in commission of the offence for generation of hefty amounts illegally with active connivance of Hussain Lawai and Taha Raza for the benefit of Zardari.

The liabilities calculated so far in respect of collusive spending by the Summit Bank on purchase and construction of the plot No G-2 is Rs7,020 million, while misappropriated amount of fraudulent finance facility through Alfa Zulu Co Pvt Ltd is Rs700 million.

The news release said that amounts of fake account utilised by the accused persons out of Rs 4.4 billion deposited into the account of A-One International is taken up so far to the extent of debited liability of Rs436.6 million to avoid overlapping in other ongoing cases/inquiries.

The former president and his sister were taken into custody separately by NAB in a money laundering case in June. Together with his sister, he is accused of laundering billions of rupees through fake accounts.

Lawyers meet ex-president

A team of lawyers and party leaders, including Farooq H Naik, Latif Khosa, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Chaudhry Manzoor met Zardari at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) on Monday and enquired about his health.

Talking to media outside the PIMS, Kaira and Manzoor said Zardari was very ill but his morale was high. They said the legal teams of Zardari would file bail request on the health grounds after consultation with the former president.

“We met with Asif Ali Zardari as per order of Lahore High Court,” Kaira told reporters. He added that Zardari had given a message to the party workers to remain encouraged.

A team of lawyers and party leaders, including Farooq H Naik, Latif Khosa, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Chaudhry Manzoor met Zardari at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) on Monday and enquired about his health.

Talking to media outside the PIMS, Kaira and Manzoor said Zardari was very ill but his morale was high. They said the legal teams of Zardari would file bail request on the health grounds after consultation with the former president.

“We met with Asif Ali Zardari as per order of Lahore High Court,” Kaira told reporters. He added that Zardari had given a message to the party workers to remain encouraged.

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