Money laundering case: Zardari, Talpur appear before JIT

KARACHI (92 News) – Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and his siter Faryal Talpur on Wednesday appeared before the joint investigation team (JIT) in money laundering case. Meanwhile, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto decided to not appear before the JIT and he will submit answer through his counsel. However, the JIT also summoned the key responsible of Omni Group. Zardari and Talpur were summoned by FIA to record their statement in the case, which pertains to money laundering through fake bank accounts. According to sources, a joint investigation team (JIT) probing the case questioned Talpur for an hour after which she was allowed to leave. Zardari was also questioned for over an hour. Zardari and Talpur have been granted interim bail in the case and have appeared before the FIA four times before this. The FIA is investigating 32 people in relation to money laundering from fictitious accounts, including Zardari and Talpur. Zardari’s close aide Hussain Lawai was arrested in July in connection with the probe. On August, the former president’s other close aide and Omni Group chairman Anwar Majeed and his son, Abdul Ghani, were arrested by FIA. According to the FIR registered by FIA, transactions of billions of rupees were made into suspicious accounts, including the Zardari Group, owned by the PPP leaders. In December 2016, the Pakistan Rangers conducted raids at the Karachi office of the Omni Group of Companies and the residence of its owner Anwar Majeed and confiscated record allegedly related to money laundering.