The Supreme Court on Saturday ordered that Summit Bank Vice-Chairman Hussain Lawai and Omni Group officials Anwar Majeed and Abdul Ghani Majeed — three of several being probed over alleged laundering of billions of rupees through fake bank accounts — be transferred out of Karachi.

Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar directed that Lawai and Abdul Ghani be moved to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi and Anwar Majeed to Pims hospital in Islamabad.

The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) formed to probe the case requested the court to transfer the suspects out of the port city so they could interview them — a move that was opposed by Omni Group chairman Anwar Majeed's counsel.

Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, while heading a two-member SC bench today, asked Anwar's counsel: "Why do you say this again and again that Anwar Majeed and others should not be transferred from Karachi to anywhere?"

The top judge dismissed the counsel's objection, noting: "These are very influential people. They cannot be investigated while still in Sindh."

The chief justice also directed the JIT to complete and furnish its report in 10 days.

Anwar's counsel told the court that Omni Group has to pay Rs1.2 billion to Silkbank; Rs1.8bn to Summit Bank; Rs4.98bn to the National Bank of Pakistan and Rs4.6bn to Sindh Bank.

The counsel said that the payments will be made in the form of "cash and properties".

Justice Nisar warned the counsel that "legal action will be taken if the payments were not made by decided-upon dates".

During a hearing in September, the CJP had warned against any external pressure being applied in the case. "Convey my message to the Sindh chief minister as well," he had said. "Any pressure in this case will not be tolerated."

Fake bank accounts case

In July, the FIA had arrested Lawai and banker Taha Raza, and booked them for allegedly facilitating the opening of the 29 ‘fake’ accounts through which suspicious transactions were made to different companies, including M/s Zardari Group.

In August, Anwar — former president Asif Zardari's close aide — was also taken into custody.

In October, a progress report compiled by the aforesaid JIT had revealed that transactions of Rs54 billion were made through 107 fake bank accounts.