ISLAMABAD, Nov 26: Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto refused to answer questions in a Geneva court about a trust of which she was allegedly a beneficiary when summoned by a Swiss judge on charges of aggravated money laundering on Nov 24 and 25. She was confronted with a report from the office of the attorney general of the Isle of Jersey which was notified to Judge Fournier.

The report disclosed a trust, having various accounts in Jersey as well as property in London, whose beneficial owner was referred to as Ms Bhutto.

She also refused to answer questions about commissions paid on off-shore companies’ Swiss accounts belonging to her.

These were transferred to England to be used for different purposes to the benefit of the Bhutto family.

Robert Massey, who was director of Cotecna, one of the two companies that were awarded the PSI contracts, was also examined.

Khaled Ahmed, specially appointed chief collector customs officer (Karachi South region) a few weeks before the PSI contracts were entered into and made ‘officer on special duty’ a few months later, was also cross-examined.

Ms Bhutto will be summoned again in Geneva for the next hearing in January 2006.

The examining magistrate had summoned Ms Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari and their agent Jens Schlegelmilch to attend a hearing on Sept 19.

In response Ms Bhutto and Jens Schlegelmilch appeared while Asif Ali Zardari did not attend the hearing on medical grounds even though the examining magistrate had rejected his plea. However, Benazir and Jens were cross-examined on various facts of the case.

The two were confronted for more than seven hours with questions by the examining magistrate, Geneva’s attorney general Daniel Zappelli and the government of Pakistan lawyers.

Because all questions could not be addressed by the magistrate, the attorney general of Geneva and the State of Pakistan, the examining magistrate directed Ms Bhutto to make herself available for the next hearing in Geneva when summoned. —APP