KARACHI: A banking court has sought the Supreme Court’s instructions on whether to pass any order on an application of the Omni Group for unfreezing bank accounts of its 19 companies in a money laundering case.

Judge Tariq Mehmood Khosa of the banking court further asked the SC to also give instructions about the other pleas moved by Omni Group’s detained chairman Anwar Majeed.

The judge made these observations on Tuesday in the light of the directives issued on Sept 24 by the SC, which had restrained the banking court from issuing any stay orders or interim injunctions on an application moved by the accused in the case without taking the apex court into confidence.

During Tuesday’s hearing, Barrister Jamshed Malik had asked the court to pass orders on the pending applications seeking unfreezing of the Omni Group’s companies’ bank accounts, where over Rs33 million had been blocked.

Separately, he also sought direction for the FIA investigation officer to submit a final investigation report in the case at the earliest. Through two other applications, the court was asked to order provision of medical treatment and better facilities to Mr Majeed in jail and direct the FIA to return his personal belongings.

However, the court issued notices to the FIA prosecutor to submit replies on Oct 16 on two separate applications seeking medical treatment and better facilities in jail.

Attachment of properties

Meanwhile, the trial court also directed the IO to initiate the process of proclamation and attachment of the properties of the five absconding suspects, including UAE national Nasser Abdulla Hussain Lootah, as the IO said that non-bailable warrants could not be executed on them and also there was no likelihood of their arrest in the near future.

Anwar Majeed, who is believed to be a close aide of former president Asif Ali Zardari, has been detained with his son Abdul Ghani Majeed in the case pertaining to alleged money laundering registered by the FIA against bankers, businessmen and politicians.

Mr Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur have been shown as absconders among several bankers and businessmen in the interim investigation report submitted by the IO.

Initially, the FIA had detained ex-chairman of the Pakistan Stock Exchange Hussain Lawai with another banker, Taha Raza, for allegedly facilitating opening of 29 fake bank accounts in the Sindh Bank, Summit Bank and United Bank Limited.

It alleged that Rs4.14 billion was deposited in one fake bank account opened in Summit Bank and transferred to different business entities, including the Zardari Group and the Omni Group.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2018