20 April 2004	Tuesday	29 Safar 1425

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ISLAMABAD, April 19: In a surprising move, the government on Monday allowed jailed PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari to proceed to Switzerland to defend himself in the SGS and Cotecna money-laundering case in a Swiss court, official sources told Dawn.

However, Mr Zardari has refused to travel as a prisoner and sought time from the government to consult his lawyers, doctors and party leaders before making a final decision, his counsel Farooq H. Naek told newsmen at a hurriedly-called press conference here.

Accompanied by PPP President Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Secretary- General Raja Pervez Ashraf, Senator Raza Rabbani, Senator Enver Baig and Babar Awan, Mr Naek said that a civil judge along with the deputy commissioner of Islamabad had come to visit Mr Zardari at 8.30pm at the hospital where the PPP leader was getting treatment in his (Mr Naek's) presence and handed over a summons issued by a Swiss court to appear before it on April 22.

Mr Naek said the notice had been issued on March 23, but the government deliberately served it on Monday after a long delay. He denied reports that Mr Zardari had been summoned to defend himself in the money-laundering case as the Swiss attorney- general had ordered re-investigation into the case after dismissing the findings of an investigating officer.

Mr Naek said Asif Zardari was willing to go to Switzerland but was not medically fit to undertake the journey. He said a medical board, set up by the Sindh government on court's directives, had recommended that Mr Zardari should be kept in a Karachi hospital for at least eight weeks.

However, he claimed, the government brought Mr Zardari to Islamabad ignoring the medical advice. He said the government could not send any person forcibly to any country to defend himself in any case.

Amin Fahim said Mr Zardari had sought clarifications from the government on some issues and would probably make a final decision on Tuesday (today). A PPP source told Dawn that soon after receiving the notice Mr Zardari talked to Benazir Bhutto and sought her advice.

Later, he also held talks with Mr Fahim and Mr Naek. Meanwhile, sources said that the government had decided to provide necessary facilities to Mr Zardari to appear in the Swiss court. The sources said the Swiss attorney-general had summoned Mr Zardari and Benazir Bhutto to appear in the Geneva court on April 22 (Thursday) in the money-laundering case.

Talking to Dawn, Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that Mr Zardari would be taken to Switzerland in custody. Therefore, he said, there was no question that Mr Zardari would not return to the country. He said the government would not take any surety from Mr Zardari regarding his return as it would be the responsibility of the Swiss government to send him back after the case hearing.

The minister said the Swiss court had already awarded a six months' jail sentence to Mr Zardari and Benazir Bhutto along with restitution of $12 million to the government of Pakistan which were held by them in the name of offshore companies. He said the court had also sentenced their lawyer Jens Schelgelmilc to four-month imprisonment along with restitution of $1.4 million to the government of Pakistan.

Mr Zardari and Benazir Bhutto had filed an appeal against this judgment which would be heard on April 22, he said. The information minister said the government had asked Mr Zardari whether he wanted to appear in person in the Swiss court.

Meanwhile, a source in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) told Dawn that Mr Zardari had been allowed to proceed to Switzerland under a 'deal' and that he would not come back. This claim, however, was denied by the PPP leadership. "If Mr Zardari was to strike a deal, he would have done so eight years ago," said PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar. Mr Babar said the authorities knew that Mr Zardari was unfit to travel and making such an offer at this time was 'duplicitous'.

Mr Zardari has been tried in 11 cases of corruption and convicted and sentenced to seven years in the Steel Mills case. Arrested in 1996, Mr Zardari has completed almost seven years imprisonment in different jails.

According to the NAB, the Swiss court had declared Pakistan a 'damage party' in the SGS and Cotecna cases and charged former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, her husband Asif Ali Zardari and their lawyer Jens Schelgelmilc with receiving commissions amounting to $13.535 million from both companies for awarding pre-shipment inspection (PSI) contracts.

They were also accused of using offshore companies to receive commissions and kickbacks for striking the deal with the two companies. After being declared a damage party, the government of Pakistan has been allowed to plead its case as a party in the Swiss court.

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