KARACHI : The Supreme Court on Friday summoned Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah after being irked at the lack of cooperation by the provincial government in the fake bank accounts case.
The provincial chief executive was summoned to Chief Justice Saqib Nisar’s chambers. “Tell him he has to meet me today. I will stay here until the matter is resolved. No one will be spared.”
During the hearing of the case at the apex court’s Karachi registry, the three-member bench referred to a complaint by the joint investigation team head Ahsan Sadiq regarding lack of cooperation from the Sindh government and was informed the JIT was only able to retrieve documents after the apex court intervened
Granting complete freedom to the investigation team to probe the case, the chief justice further directed the Sindh government to ensure cooperation.
He also asked Advocate General Salman Talib to ensure cooperation and added that the apex court will fix a hearing if any problem arises.
In his briefing to the apex court, the JIT head revealed that Omni Group owed Rs73 billion in loans – Rs23 billion to National Bank of Pakistan while the remaining Rs50 billion were borrowed from Sindh Bank, Summit Bank and Silk Bank.
Earlier, the JIT head informed the bench that the quantum of alleged illegal transfers and transactions has been increased from Rs35 billion as Rs47 billion, adding that thousands of fake accounts have been identified through which the transactions were made.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, sister Faryal Talpur, Omni Group’s Anwar Majeed, former Pakistan Stock Exchange chairman Hussain Lawai and Summit Bank Senior Vice-President Taha Raza are among those being investigated by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for alleged money laundering of at least Rs35 billion through fake accounts.
It is pertinent to note that while Zardari and Talpur were granted protective bail by a lower court, Lawai and Majeed are currently in custody.
