ISLAMABAD – Supreme Court on Monday, directing National AccountabilityBureau (NAB) to hold investigation in mega money laundering and fake bankaccounts case, ordered to remove names of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and SindhChief Minister Murad Shah from the Exit Control List (ECL).Three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar also directedJoint Investigation Team (JIT) to remove the names of both from the itsreport, as well.The top court ordered NAB to investigate the case in light of a reportrecently submitted by a joint investigation team probing the matter, and tocomplete its investigation within two months.The bench mandated the accountability bureau to summon whoever it wishes,and instructed the JIT to continue its own probe meanwhile.Justice Nisar remarked that NAB can probe Bilawal and CM Shah independentlyand if after the investigation a reference can be formed, then it should befiled.The Chief Justice asked the JIT counsel,Faisal Siddiqui that why JIT hadrecommended to place Bilawal on the no-fly list in its report adding thatthe JIT would have to clarify it.Justice Nisar further said, “Bilawal’s career is spotless till now. Hisfather and paternal aunt were running the businesses and may have the rolein this matter, but what is Bilawal’s role.Faisal Siddiqui said, “JIT report page 57 mentions Park Lane property wasbrought through fake accounts and Bilawal has 25% share in the property, headded.However, the top judge remarked, “How does being a shareholder prove thatBilawal is part of the scandal. We can freeze the property but his namecannot be placed on the ECL on this basis.”Meanwhile, the Attorney Veneral informed the court that the federalgovernment has forwarded the matter of placing names on ECL to the reviewcommittee and further progress on this matter is expected by January 10.Munir Bhatti, counsel for Omni Group while pleading the case denied theexistence of a nexus between the three different companies and added thatOmni Group had bought the sugar mills in accordance with the law.
Chief Justice, responded and said that “But the mills were not availablefor free, were they? “The money came through the fake accounts.”
Bhatti said that his client had not done anything illegal by buying sugarmills on subsidies and added that the figures mentioned in the JIT reportwere not a single record.Munir added that the matter has been further complicated by forwarding itto the committee. We do not know when the committee will take measures.”Expressing anger over the Omni Group counsel’s remarks, the chief justicesaid, “If you have an issue then forget the cabinet, I will place names onECL.”
“You are not discussing the real case,” Justice Nisar further told the OmniGroup counsel.
“Do you know anything about layering, Mr Bhatti?” Justice Ijazul Ahsan, whois part of the bench hearing the case, asked the lawyer. Bhatti respondedin the negative.
“Then why are you presenting arguments?” Justice Ahsan asked.Justice Nisar remarked that JIT’s findings cannot be dismissed and thecourt has to examine the replies from the respondents.
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Bahria Town, Zain Malik, Zardari, Talpur, Anwar and Abdul Ghani Majeed, andthe Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan have all submitted theirresponses to the court.Chief Justice remarked that “So much matter has come against Omni Groupthat no one can shut their eyes to it.The SECP, in its response, also said that the JIT had not approached it forcomment or given it an opportunity to “explain the correct legal position”on the matter of acquisition of shares of Arif Habib Bank and Atlas Bank bySuroor Investment Ltd.Subsequently, the court also ordered that names of Anwar Mansoor Khan’sbrother and Farooq H Naek and his family be removed from the ECL andadjourned the case until January 23.Several bigwigs, including former president Asif Zardari, his sister FaryalTalpur, former president of Summit Bank Hussain Lawai and Omni Group’sAnwar Majeed, were all nominated in the case. Property tycoon Malik Riaz,hisson-in-law Zain have also been included in the probe.
Over 20 ‘benami’ accounts at some private banks were opened in 2013, 2014and 2015 from where transactions worth billions of rupees were allegedlymade.
The amount, according to FIA, is said to be black money gathered fromvarious kickbacks, commissions and bribes. -APP
