ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is authorized to investigate Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari in fake account and money laundering case. Aftab Ahmed Bajwa, a legal expert, told Business Recorder that if there is fresh evidence against the PPP chairman, NAB has power to summon him for inquiry.
Bajwa further stated that the Supreme Court while hearing the suo moto on fake accounts never stopped NAB from inquiring against PPP leaders, including Bilawal Bhutto. In January 2019, the Supreme Court while hearing Rs35 billion fake bank accounts scam, ordered that the names of Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah be removed from Exit Control List and from a joint investigation team's report on a probe into the case. The apex court had ordered the authorities to forward the case to NAB and directed the anti-graft watchdog to launch its probe independently and complete it within two months.
Bajwa maintained that there is apex court judgment that Investigation Officer cannot be barred from probing allegations against anyone. "The NAB is an investigative agency, and if it has fresh evidence then it could investigate Bilwal Bhutto regarding the matter," he added.
Imran Shafiq, former special prosecutor NAB, said if Bilawal Bhutto's role surfaces in the money laundering and fake account case and the NAB has solid evidence, it can file a reference against him.
The NAB has summoned PPP chairman thrice to record his statement in the fake bank accounts and money laundering case. In Feb, Bilawal appeared before the NAB in the fake bank accounts case for his alleged transaction with JV Opal-225, a joint venture of real estate tycoon Malik Riaz and former president Asif Ali Zardari.
NAB contends that Bilawal was the CEO of M/s Zardari Group Private Limited (ZGPL) in the year 2011 when ZGPL signed a joint venture agreement dated 15-10-2011 with M/s Bahria Town Private Limited (BTPL) Malik Riaz.
According to anti-graft body Bhutto-Zardari has repeatedly shown ignorance about the management affairs of ZGPL, but as per record he signed the audited accounts of the ZGPL for the years 2011-2016 as CEO of ZGPL and submitted them to FBR that negated his claim he had not been running the ZGPL affairs actively.
The PPP leaders say Bilawal has never been involved in any malpractice and corruption. However, a lawyer, on condition of anonymity said the PPP chairman was twisting facts by misguiding people that he was only seven years old when these properties were bought. "The fact is that the properties were bought during 2011-14 when his father Zardari was president of Pakistan. The properties were made with the laundered money, including Bilawal House and agricultural lands," he said.
Accountability Court, Islamabad, on Friday dismissed Asif Ali Zardari's applications to acquit him in the Park Lane case and decided to indict him on August 10 Today). Zardari has been accused of being involved in obtaining loan and its misappropriation by M/s Parthenon Private Limited, M/s Park Lane Estate Private Limited and others.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020