Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday formed a committee under the surgeon general of Pakistan to medically examine the two accused, Omni Group Chairman Anwar Majeed and his son Abdul Ghani Majeed, in a money laundering case.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), through a petition, had sought the medical examination of the two accused.

During the course of proceedings, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) admonished Dr Jamali for a delay in the diagnosis of the two accused.

“I supported you each time you approached the court. But, how is it possible that you have not been able to diagnose a patient?” Justice Nisar said.

He further said he had kept Dr Jamali’s integrity intact by not going near the MRI machine during his visit to the JPMC. “Who was inside the MRI machine that day?” the chief justice asked Dr Jamali.

“You have been unable to diagnose a single patient? Is this not the Sindh government’s failure,” Justice Nisar said.

Counsel for defence Advocate Aisha Hamid argued that the matter was already being heard by the relevant court. She said that the Supreme Court should not get involved in the case. To this, the chief justice said, “Why is the Sindh government hesitant to get an independent check-up done?”

Advocate Hamid said Punjab doctors should not conduct the medical examination of her clients.

Justice Umer Ata Bandial, another member of the bench hearing the case, advised Advocate Hamid to avoid linking the matter to provinces. The chief justice further added that the accused would be shifted to Islamabad.

The hearing was then adjourned till September 24.

The FIA is interrogating 32 people, including former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur, in relation to money laundering from fictitious accounts. Zardari’s close aide Hussain Lawai was arrested in July in connection with the probe.

According to sources, more than 20 ‘benami’ accounts at some private banks were opened in 2013, 2014 and 2015 from where transactions worth billions of rupees were made. The amount, according to FIA sources, is said to be black money gathered from various kickbacks, commissions and bribes.

Previously the amount laundered from these fictitious accounts was said to be Rs 32 billion, however, FIA officials said late last month they found at least 15 more suspicious bank accounts, four of which have been confirmed as fake. A total of Rs 6 billion were laundered via these four fake or ‘benami’ accounts. After the disclosure, the total amount of money laundered via fake bank accounts climbed to Rs 41 billion.

Published in Daily Times, September 18^th 2018.