Daily Times

The problems for former president Asif Ali Zardari have continue to increase, as Nasser Abdulla Hussain Lootah – central character in the fake accounts case – has become an approver, the media reported.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has obtained important evidences from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) citizen who was allegedly involved in the money laundering and had been nominated in the reference.

The anti-corruption watchdog produced Nasser Abdulla before an accountability court (AC) and he recorded his statement under Section 164 before Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Waseem Ahmed, who was performing duty as the magistrate.

Nasser Abdulla Lootah stated that he had no connection with the alleged money laundering and Abdul Ghani Majeed of the Omni Group misused his documents. He assured that he will completely cooperate with the anti-graft body in investigations.

The arrest warrants against Nasser Abdulla have been cancelled; however, the final decision on his plea to become the approver will be made by NAB Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal.

Judicial remand of Zardari, Talpur’s extended until Sept 5

It is pertinent to mention here that Nasser Abdulla Hussain Lootah is chairman and director of the Summit Bank.

Meanwhile, an accountability court in Islamabad on Monday extended the judicial remand Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur until September 5 in the money laundering and fake bank accounts case.

Accountability Court judge Muhammad Bashir, while hearing the Park Lane reference and money laundering case against the two PPP leaders, instructed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to provide copies of the money laundering case to the accused and adjourned the hearing. Copies of the Park Lane reference were handed over to the suspects during the hearing.

Both Zardari and Talpur are being held at Adiala Jail after they were arrested by the accountability watchdog earlier this year on the charges of laundering billions of rupees through fictitious accounts.

Zardari, who was shifted to Adiala Jail on Friday, appeared before the court on Monday and claimed before the judge that he was being mistreated in the prison. The former president’s counsel Sardar Latif Khosa had filed a plea in the court asking that his client be provided with A-class facilities in prison, including air-conditioning, medical facilities and permission to meet his family.

Khosa again asked the judge to grant better facilities to Zardari in the prison. “My client suffers from a number of medical conditions which may pose a threat to his life,” the counsel told the court, as he asked for air-conditioning in the cell. The court will hear the plea for A-class facilities in prison today (Tuesday).

Meanwhile, Deputy Prosecutor NAB Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi informed the accountability court that the accountability bureau had decided to file a supplementary reference against Zardari and Talpur in the money laundering case. The reference will be filed in the light of new evidence found by NAB in the case, he added.