ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court ordered on Saturday the Ministry of Interior to place the names of suspects involved in the fake account case on the no-fly list, local media reported.
A three-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar heard the case related to money laundering scam involving Rs35 billion.
The apex court directed the names of the people mentioned in a list compiled by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), should be put on the Exit Control List (ECL).
The FIA informed the court that there are seven account holders and 13 beneficiaries. The account holders include Tariq Sultan, Irum Aqeel, Mohammad Ashraf, Iqbal Arain, Mohammad Umair, Adnan Javed and Qasim Ali, Geo TV reported.
According to the FIA’s list, the beneficiaries of the account are former president Asif Ali Zardari, his sister, Faryal Talpur, Nasir Abdullah, Omni Polymer Packages, Pak Ethanol Private Limited, Ansari Sugar Mills, Chimber Sugar Mills, Agro Farm Thatta, Parthenon Private Limited, A1 International, Lucky International, Logistic Trading, Royal International and Umair Associate.
The court also summoned chief executive officers of Summit Bank, Sindh Bank and UBL as well as officials of the State Bank of Pakistan in the next hearing set to be held on coming Thursday. The court also directed State Bank of Pakistan to furnish necessary information to FIA.
On July 5, the top court took suo motu notice of slow inquiry into the fake bank accounts case.
HUSSAIN LAWAIN IN FIA’s CUSTODY
The Pakistan Stock Exchange chairman and a close friend of former president Asif Zardari, Hussain Lawai, was taken into custody on Friday. A local magistrate sent him on remand until July 11.
The FIA grilled Lawai over his alleged involvement in the money-laundering scam involving billions of rupees. Lawai was summoned for investigation by FIA banking circle on Friday morning.
According to FIA sources, Lawai is accused of operating more than two dozen benami accounts to launder billions of rupees abroad.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/pakistan/money-laundering-case-pakistan-stock-exchange-chairman-remanded-into-fia-custody/
Twenty-nine accounts belonging to seven people have been used to launder around Rs35 billion in Sindh, according to the FIA, which is being called the ‘biggest money laundering case in Sindh’.
Lawai was also reportedly stopped at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport to leave the country last month over allegedly dubious banking transactions.
The amount is black money gathered from various kickbacks, commissions and bribes. But despite these huge transactions, the bank authorities never reported to the authorities concerned including FIA.
