He is in NAB custody in a money laundering case
Former president Asif Ali Zardari listens to his son and chairperson of the PPP, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, during the party manifesto presentation for the forthcoming election during a press conference in Islamabad on June 28, 2018. Photo: AFP
NAB has arrested former president Asif Ali Zardari in the Park Lane reference. He is already in NAB’s custody till July 2 in a money laundering case.
NAB will present him before an accountability court on Tuesday. The investigating officer in the money laundering case will request for an extension in his remand, while another officer will request his remand in the Park Lane case. If the court approves his physical remand in both cases then the investigating officers will have the right to question him in their respective cases.
Zardari had withdrawn his bail application in the Park Lane case, while NAB had already issued his arrest warrants in it.
Related: Faryal Talpur says she has no shares in Zardari Group
The Park Lane Estate company is a Karachi-based real estate firm. The anti-graft watchdog had initiated an inquiry against him and his son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, on charges that they illegally transferred forest land to the firm in collusion with some government officials. Bilawal was given a clean chit in the case on June 12.
The money laundering case, on the other hand, refers to the embezzlement of Rs4.4 billion. NAB has accused Zardari and his sister, MPA Faryal Talpur, of owning shares of the Zardari Group, a company that received some of the embezzled funds.
Hussain Lawai’s remanded extended
An accountability court extended the remand of Hussain Lawai, former Pakistan Stock Exchange chairperson, and Taha Raza, the former vice-president of Summit Bank, by seven days in the fake accounts case.
Related: Hussain Lawai, Taha Raza denied bail in fake accounts case
NAB prosecutor said that Lawai bought a house in KDA scheme under his wife’s name, while Raza played an important role in getting a loan for the Parthenon Company.