Karachi: Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has sought more time for filing reply on petition filed by Anwar Majeed, Chairman Omni Group, arrested in money laundering scandal.
Sindh High court took up the plea field by Anwar Majeed against FIA for hearing on Tuesday.
During the course of hearing, FIA sought time from court for filing reply upon which court has summoned investigation officer Najaf Mirza on Nov 20.
Anwar Majeed took the plea that bogus cases are being registered against him by FIA therefore court should stop FIA from harassing him. . Details of the cases should also be told.
Petitioner further prayed court it should seek details of pending inquiry against him from FIA.
On the other hand, FIA officials said that money laundering case was raised by the State Bank of Pakistan in 2015 for the first time when it had sent report of suspicious remittances (STRs) to FIA.
FIA officials claimed that fake accounts were opened by bank managers on order of administration and administration opened these bogus accounts on order of Omni Group.
They said all these accounts were opened for 6 to 10 months from 2013 to 2015 to do money laundering.
Officials claimed that according to available documents, the amount of money that had been laundered was Rs 35 billion.
Director FIA Sindh ordered an inquiry on report of suspicious remittances and on March 2015, four bank accounts were found involved in dubious remittances.
According to FIA officials all bank accounts were of Omni Group.
In inquiry, recommendation were made to register a case but due to alleged pressure no case had been registered at that time and inquiry was halted.
On December 2017, State Bank of Pakistan, once again sent STRs. In this report, there were 29 accounts that were found involved in suspicious remittances out of them, 16 accounts were of Summit Bank, 8 of Sindh Bank, and 5 of UBL.
Four accounts through which remittances were sent in 2015 were also included in these 29 accounts.
On January 21, 2018, once again investigation was started. In the beginning of the inquiry, only bank officials were made part of the interrogation, later notices were issued to Zain Malik, Aslam Masood, Arif Khan, Hussain Lawai, Nasir Lotha, Taha Raza, Anwar Majeed, A.G Majeed and others after inquiry while their names were also put on Exit Control List (ECL).
FIA officials said that they had sought records from all banks but no record was furnished to them.
Only Summit Bank gave record of one bank account A-1 International upon which case had been registered.
SB issued notice to Summit Bank for submission of equity.
Rs 7 billion were transferred in the accounts of Summit Bank Chairman Nasir Lotha and this amount was transferred to Nasir Lotha account from the account of A- one International.
Nasir Lotha had submitted this amount in State Bank as equity.
Two to three companies and some persons kept on depositing money into these 29 accounts.
Officials said that after investigation it seems that the money which has been submitted in these accounts was obtained through unfair means.
A case of money laundering and bogus accounts has been registered against Anwar Majeed and Summit Bank administration while other people were involved in the same case under sections of money laundering.
