Daily Times

A banking court, on Friday, granted interim bail for 15 days to former president Asif Ali Zardari in the fraudulent accounts case against bail bonds of Rs 2 million (mn).

PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari appeared before a local banking court along with his council Farooq Naik on Friday. Asif Ali Zardari was granted an interim bail by the court. The local court also directed the former president to pay bail bonds amounting to Rs2 mn.

According to Zardari’s council Naik the former president was granted an interim bail for 15 days. “We are ready to face the trial,” Naik added.

The court then adjourned the hearing and summoned Zardari on September 4.

Speaking to the media after the hearing, the former president remarked that all cases against politicians were politically motivated. He further expressed his confidence in PPP’s president-nominee Aitzaz Ahsan. “Aitzaz Ahsan will become the next president of the country,” said Asif Ali Zardari while responding to a journalist’s question. Replying to a question, the former president said that he would come to the court every day, if summoned.

When another journalist quipped that the former president did not arrive to his hearing in a helicopter, Zardari responded by saying that he just might in his next hearing. “”Wait a little, I will come back in one,” he said.

On August 17, a local banking court had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Zardari and other suspects in an ongoing investigation regarding money laundering through fraudulent accounts. However on August 18, the former president obtained a protective bail from the Islamabad High Court (IHC). The IHC approved Zardari’s petition for protective bail and directed him to appear before the relevant court before September 3.

Earlier this week on Monday, Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur appeared before Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for an interrogation session that lasted 25 minutes. A FIA official who was present on the occasion told the media that Zardari seemed visibly agitated during the interrogation. The former president was observed pacing back and forth nervously and chain smoking while his sister, Talpur, seemed more composed, said the FIA official. Throughout the hearing, the two siblings insisted that FIA handover the questionnaire to which they would respond in due time.

The FIA is currently investigating 32 people in relation to money laundering from 20 ‘benami’ accounts which were opened at private banks in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Sources reported that transactions worth billions of rupees were made through these fictitious bank accounts. According to sources in the FIA, the amount is said to be black money gathered from receiving kickbacks, commissions and bribes.

Former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur are among the 32 people being investigated in this money laundering case.

Two of Zardari’s close aides, Hussain Lawai and Omni Group owner Anwar Majeed have been arrested by the FIA in connection with the investigation. Anwar Majeed’s son Abdul Ghani Majeed was also arrested by the FIA while Majeed’s three other sons were granted an interim bail.

Published in Daily Times, September 1^st 2018.