ISLAMABAD: PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari appeared before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday in the Harish and Company and Opal Properties cases that were opened under the fake accounts and money laundering case the bureau is already investigating.

According to Mr Zardari’s lawyer, Farooq H. Naek, the former president was at NAB headquarters for almost an hour.

He received three different questionnaires regarding the Harish and Company and Opal Properties cases.

Mr Naek said Mr Zardari had also been given a call-up notice, under which he had to appear before NAB again on May 23.

There was no official word from NAB about Mr Zardari’s visit.

The anti-graft watchdog has claimed that Harish and Company was awarded a contract for water supply from the provincial Special Initiative Department but failed to complete the projects, and the funds were allegedly used to meet the expenses of Naudero House.

NAB has already filed a reference against the department’s former secretary Ejaz Ahmed Khan and other suspects.

Harish and Company is said to be a subsidiary of Mr Zardari’s main firm, Park Lane Estate.

Mr Naek said his client had nothing to do with Harish and Company and the main reference did not name Mr Zardari.

On Wednesday, the Islamabad High Court granted Mr Zardari interim bail in six corruption cases being investigated by NAB. His bail against a Rs500,000 surety bond in the Opal 225 property case was approved until June 12.

Mr Zardari has been accused of taking vehicles from Tosha Khana and paying their import duties from fake accounts. He was also granted interim bail in the case until June 20.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2019