The Accountability Court hearing multi-billion-rupee fake bank accounts case on Tuesday fixed March 25 for the indictment of former president Asif Ali Zardari and other accused in the Park Lane case. The Accountability Court Judge, Azam Khan, while hearing the case directed all accused to ensure their presence at the next hearing. All accused in Park Lane case appeared before it on March 25 and charge will be framed, the judge said.
At the start of the hearing, Zardari's counsel Farooq H Naek filed an application seeking personal exemption of his client due to health reasons before the court and the court approved the same. During the hearing, the court inquired about accused Khawaja Anwar Majid who is currently under treatment at Karachi. During the previous hearing, the court issued directives about Majid shifting from Karachi to Islamabad.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor told the court that shifting Majid from Karachi to Islamabad will cost Rs 2 million. He further told the court that the accused is in custody and charge could be framed through video link. The jail authorities and other relevant departments should be informed with respect to recording statement of the accused through a video link, he said. The judge asked the NAB prosecutor to submit a written application in this regard.
Zardari's counsel Sardar Latif Khosa said that recording statement of the accused through a video link was not so easy. The federal government will write a letter to the provincial government for this purpose, he said. Farooq H Naek, Zardari's counsel said that the court had recorded statement of accused in "Memogate" scandal through a video link. Former president Pervez Musharraf had also recorded his statement through a video link, he said. The judge said that how it (recording statement through a video link) could be given legal cover.
Whether the court sends its representative to Karachi for recording statement of accused, the judge said. Naek said that "yes" registrar of the court could be sent there. The court directed the NAB to submit written application today with respect to recording of the statement of accused through a video link.
The NAB prosecutor also informed the court that the NAB had given final shape to plea bargain application of the accused, Zain Malik. The NAB has started the process of plea bargain of Zain Malik, he said, adding that the mechanism for paying the arrears in various cases has been made and the NAB headquarters will soon start the process.
The NAB filed the Park Lane reference against Zardari and 16 other accused on August 19 before the court. Other accused include Hussain Lawai, former president Arif Habib Bank and Summit Bank (arrested), Abdul Ghani Majeed, owner of various companies of Omni Group (arrested), Aslam Masood, chief financial officer/general manager finance in various companies of Omni Group (arrested), Khawaja Anwer Majid, owner of various companies of Omni Group (under judicial custody), Taha Raza, relationship manager at Arif Habib Bank (arrested), Farooq Abdullah, area/branch manager HBL (arrested), Sher Ali, operations manager HBL (arrested), Uzair Naeem, former AVP Summit Bank, M/s Tracom Private Limited through its GM, and Muhammad Saleem Faisal, general manager M/s Tracom (Private) Limited (arrested).
The court, while hearing the mega money-laundering case against Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur, and other accused adjourned the hearing till March 25th. Faryal Talpur and other accused appeared before the court and the court marked their attendance.
In the supplementary reference regarding mega money-laundering case the NAB has nominated Zardari, Faryal Talpur, Hussain Lawai, Anwar Majid, Abdul Ghani Majeed, Taha Raza, Arif Khan, Muhammad Umair, Syed Hussain Faisal Shah Jamote, Azam Wazir Khan, Nimr Majid, Mustafa Z Majid, Ali Kemal Malik, M Younas Kidwavi, Zain Malik, Haji Haroon, Khawaja Muhammad Salman Younus, Pir Darvesh Khan, Imran Khan, Muhammad Aurangzeb, and Bilal Shaikh.
In the interim reference, the NAB has a total of 30 accused including Asif Ali Zardari, Faryal Talpur, Hussain Lawai, Taha Raza, Anwar Majeed, Abdul Ghani Majeed, Noreen Sultan, Kiran Aman, Adeel Shah Rashidi, Muhammad Ashraf, Qasim Ali, Shahzad Ali, Sher Muhammad, Zain Malik, Iqbal Khan Noori, Nimr Majeed, Mustafa Zulqarnain, Aslam Masood, Muhammad Arif Khan, Nassar Abdullah, Adnan Javed, Muhammad Umair, Iqbal Arian, Azam Wazir Khan, Christopher D Craz, Muhammad Nasir Sheikh, Ghanzanfar Ahsan, Sawoodi Morkas, Muhammad Raheel Mobin, and Ali Kamal Majeed.
The defense counsel, Raja Abdul Qadir, told the court that the accused Haji Haroon will appear before the court during the next hearing.
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