ISLAMABAD: Investigators probing one of the country’s biggest moneylaundering scams informed the Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday that a chunkof illegally parked money went into an account believed to be maintained byformer President Asif Ali Zardari’s aide Awais Muzaffar Tappi who isresiding in Dubai.
Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General Bashir Memon, duringthe course of proceedings, personally submitted a confidential bankstatement of M/S Zardari Group of Companies Private Ltd. which revealed analleged link of the said group with an episode of illegally parked moneyworth Rs35 billion, with growing volume of Rs70 billion from 29 to 65 fakeaccounts maintained by around 26 companies and individuals.
“We’ve handed over an undeniable evidence to SCP today [July 12] whereZardari Group of Companies Pvt. Ltd. received Rs30 million from twodifferent ‘benami’ accounts [one of them has been traced out]. Othersmaller payments have also been deposited into this group’ accounts fromthe said accounts,” claimed a senior official of FIA who is also a memberof the Joint Investigation Agency (JIT) probing this case.
“Faryal Talpur had signed a cheque worth Rs30 million in name of AwaisMuzaffar Tappi—this amount went from Zardari Group of Companies’ account,”claimed the investigator quoting gist of bank statement submitted with theapex court on Thursday. “We’r going to summon him [Owais Muzaffar] soon,”added the investigator.
FIA team is now probing either any other amount was also sent to Mr Tappi’saccounts or not. JIT headed by Dr Najaf Mirza is also probing the allegedlink of Anwar Majeed’s accounts with Awais Muzaffar’s, FIA officials said.
FIA probing team submitted a confidential final report prepared by theState Bank of Pakistan with the SC which revealed that investigators haveyet to collect information about 17 more fake accounts which could evenexpand volume of this laundered amount in coming weeks. FIA, however,fetched details of 12 accounts which were involving around 26 companies andindividuals who allegedly illegally parked over Rs35 billion, revealed470-page report, exclusively obtained with Geo News.