LOS ANGELES, Nov 20: A leading Pakistani merchant, living in central Florida, and several of his colleagues were bailed out on Monday night.

Mohammed Saleem Khanani, a Pakistani from Karachi, and a leading partner of one of the wealthiest Muslims in central Florida, Jesse Issa Maali, a Palestinian immigrant, was arrested in Orlando on Thursday along with many of his Pakistani origin colleagues in an operation by Orange County, Fl, police after a two year investigation.

Mr Maali, a tourist shops and stores magnate with business interests spread all over central Florida and 800 employees, was arrested on Thursday during a series of raids at his Isleworth mansion and business in Orange and Osceola counties. He was charged with 55 counts of money-laundering and immigration violations.

Mr Khanani refused to talk with Dawn when he was contacted over the cell phone. “I cannot say anything without the presence of my attorney. I will remain silent until my attorney say something, he said.

However, his wife, Khursheed Saleem Khanani, said that they had nothing to do with money exchanger, Kalia and Khanani. “We are Memons and they are not. Khanani is a big family and we have no relationship with the Kalia and Khanani family,” she said. She, too, declined to speak anything on the case.

Mr Maali and Mr Khanani were accused of recruiting workers from Pakistan, India, Italy and Morocco, among other countries. They were brought to central Florida to work in seven Big Bargain World stores and a Sports Dominator shop over the past three years, a federal indictment said.

Also indicted were Khan Aslam, 56, a van driver for the stores, and two store managers, Saeedullah Awan, 43, and Mahmood Jamal, 48.

All the prosecutors suggested that Mr Maali had financial ties with Middle Eastern organizations that supported violence.

But according to Arab Amer-ican Community Center, Flor-ida, he had only supported humanitarian causes in Palestine, including the raising of $25,000 fund to set up an emergency room in Ramallah-based at the Israeli occupied West Bank.

Meanwhile on Sunday, an accountant, who is an officer for several Maali and Khanani companies, was also arrested by the FBI on related charges of conspiring to harbour illegal aliens. David R. Portlock, 51, of Windermere was held without bail at the Seminole County Jail.

Mr Portlock’s office at 7345 Sand Lake Road was searched by federal agents Thursday,but details on his involvement in the case were not available.