The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Wednesday filed the first interim reference in the fake bank accounts case, nominating eight senior government officials and the director of a private company.

The corruption watchdog's prosecutors submitted the reference to an accountability court in Islamabad, pleading that the nominated accused persons be tried in the court for buying properties in Karachi through the said fake accounts.

The suspects nominated in the reference include former administrator of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), Mohammad Hussain Syed, former metropolitan commissioners of KMC: Matanat Ali Khan and Samiuddin Siddique.

Others nominated in the reference include Additional Director KDA Wing KMC, Syed Khalid Zafar Hashmi, former director KDA Wing KMC Najamuz Zaman, assistant directors of KDA Wing KMC, Abdul Rasheed and Abdul Ghani, and Director M/s Parthenon Younus Kudwavi.

The NAB has also reportedly made a recovery in the case, with well-placed sources within the bureau telling DawnNewsTV that Kudwavi has handed over a plot valued at Rs600 million.

Sources say that Kudwavi has given NAB his written consent to take over the property, and also surrendered the relevant documents.

The fake bank accounts case involves alleged money laundering worth billions of rupees through 29 accounts, which were found opened in three banks — Summit Bank, Sindh Bank and United Bank Ltd.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had named PPP leaders Asif Ali Zardari, his sibling Faryal Talpur, Omni Group chairman Anwar Majeed, his sons and over 10 others as suspects in an interim charge sheet filed in a banking court in August last year.

The case was recently transferred from the banking court in Karachi to the accountability court of Rawalpindi for trial.