SC grants Omni group's Anwar Majeed bail in fake accounts case

Published September 2, 2020
The bail will be rejected if the accused does not cooperate with the anti-graft watchdog, the court said. — DawnNewsTV/File
The bail will be rejected if the accused does not cooperate with the anti-graft watchdog, the court said. — DawnNewsTV/File

The Supreme Court on Wednesday accepted the bail plea of Omni Group Chairman Anwar Majeed in the fake bank accounts case and directed him to cooperate with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The bail will be rejected if the accused does not cooperate with the anti-graft watchdog, the court said.

The court also directed that Majeed submit a bank guarantee of Rs100 million to the Supreme Court registrar in addition to placing his name on the no-fly list. Majeed will be required to submit his passport with the court.

A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Mushir Alam, presided over the hearing.

During today's hearing, the NAB prosecutor said that the Omni group owner had been at the hospital since day one and had not appeared before the bureau so far.

"Fifteen investigations and four references have been postponed due to his non-cooperation," he said.

At this Justice Alam said "Anwar Majeed should not obstruct investigations."

Majeed's lawyer Munir A. Malik contended that his client had been advised to undergo surgery in the United States or the United Kingdom, adding that the co-accused in the case, former president Asif Ali Zardari, was also out on bail.

Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin said that the accused suffered from a serious heart condition and availing medical treatment was his basic right. However, the judge added, permission could not be given to the accused to travel abroad.

"Forget about going abroad. No one will go abroad now," said Justice Amin.

In June, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had rejected Majeed's bail application in the fake accounts case.

The fake bank accounts case pertains to alleged money laundering worth billions of rupees through 29 accounts opened in three banks.

The Federal Investigation Agency had named PPP leader Asif Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur, Anwar Majeed, his sons and over 10 others as accused in an interim reference filed in a banking court in August 2018.

Opinion

Editorial

Ties with Tehran
Updated 24 Apr, 2024

Ties with Tehran

Tomorrow, if ties between Washington and Beijing nosedive, and the US asks Pakistan to reconsider CPEC, will we comply?
Working together
24 Apr, 2024

Working together

PAKISTAN’S democracy seems adrift, and no one understands this better than our politicians. The system has gone...
Farmers’ anxiety
24 Apr, 2024

Farmers’ anxiety

WHEAT prices in Punjab have plummeted far below the minimum support price owing to a bumper harvest, reckless...
By-election trends
Updated 23 Apr, 2024

By-election trends

Unless the culture of violence and rigging is rooted out, the credibility of the electoral process in Pakistan will continue to remain under a cloud.
Privatising PIA
23 Apr, 2024

Privatising PIA

FINANCE Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb’s reaffirmation that the process of disinvestment of the loss-making national...
Suffering in captivity
23 Apr, 2024

Suffering in captivity

YET another animal — a lioness — is critically ill at the Karachi Zoo. The feline, emaciated and barely able to...