LAHORE: The Supreme Court on Saturday ordered shifting of Omni Group officials Anwar Majeed and Abdul Ghani Majeed and Summit Bank’s vice chairman Hussain Lawai, facing charges of laundering billions of rupees through fake bank accounts, out of Karachi for the purpose of interrogation by a joint investigation team (JIT) probing the matter.

Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General Bashir Memon, who heads the JIT, told a two-judge bench at the Lahore registry that the suspects had not been extending cooperation to the team with respect to investigations.

However, Omni Group’s counsel Munir Bhatti rejected the impression, saying the trial court had directed the JIT to seek permission from the apex court to hold investigation with the suspects — one of whom is in a Karachi hospital and others are on judicial remand.

The counsel also requested the court to allow the JIT to hold interviews of his clients in any court of Karachi as travelling outside the city would be difficult for them due to health reasons.

CJP says decision has been taken because Anwar Majeed, Ghani Majeed and Hussain Lawai have strong connections with the ruling party in Sindh

However, Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar turned down the request and observed that the suspects were very influential people and “ruled over Karachi”. He said the court wanted to shift the suspects to a neutral place where the JIT could hold investigation without any possible pressure.

The CJP told the counsel that the court had earlier decided that no investigation of the matter in hand would be held in Sindh owing to strong connection of the suspects with the party ruling the province. “We are sending them to Rawalpindi, which is close to us,” said the CJP.

CJP Nisar ordered shifting of Anwar Majeed to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad, and Mr Lawai and Ghani Majeed to Adiala jail for the purpose of investigation. He observed that the suspects could file an application for their re-shifting to Karachi once the JIT completed the interrogation.

Payment plan

The counsel for Omni Group submitted a plan before the court regarding payment of its liability to different banks for stolen stocks. The group owed Rs4.98 billion to the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Rs1.9bn to the Summit Bank, Rs1.2bn to the Silk Bank and Rs4.6bn to the Sindh Bank. The counsel said the liability would be paid in shape of cash and selling of pledged properties.

Lawyers and representatives of the banks, present in the court, agreed to the payment plan offered by the Omni Group.

During the hearing, FIA DG Memon told the court that the prices of the properties shown by the group in its payment plan were inflated.

At this, the CJP directed the NBP to carry out a fresh evaluation of the properties and directed heads of all the banks to submit their personal affidavits to this effect.

The court further directed the banks to initiate action against the suspects if they failed to make the payment on the specific dates mention in the plan. The court also directed the JIT to submit its report after 10 days.

Meanwhile, the bench dismissed a petition seeking recovery of two witnesses of the money laundering case allegedly went missing. The CJP advised the counsel to approach Murad Ali Shah (Sindh chief minister) or his boss. “Do you understand what I mean?” the CJP asked the lawyer.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2018