ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Monday extended physical remand of Faryal Talpur till July 22 in the fake bank accounts case.

Accountability court judge Mohammad Arshad Malik resumed proceedings in the case.

Besides Ms Talpur, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) also produced former president Asif Ali Zardari as well as other accused before the judge.

Mr Zardari had requested the court to exempt Ms Talpur from personal attendance. However, the judge turned down the request, saying that an accused could not be exempted from attendance during the physical remand. He offered the judge to hand over his custody to NAB for 90 days in lieu of exemption for his sister.

NAB sought Ms Talpur’s remand, saying that after her arrest she proceeded to Sindh as the provincial assembly had issued her production orders.

Ms Talpur’s counsel, Latif Khosa, opposed the NAB request, saying that the bureau had not yet found any evidence against his client. He requested the court to send Ms Talpur to jail on judicial remand to enable the investigation team to quiz her.

Subsequently, the court extended her 14-day physical remand and adjourned further proceedings till July 22.

It may be mentioned that Ms Talpur has been in NAB custody on physical remand since June 14 at her Sector F-8 house, which has been declared a sub-jail.

Meanwhile, NAB sought further time to submit a reply to the acquittal plea filed by the Omni Group’s bosses.

Directors of the Omni Group on Thursday filed applications seeking acquittal in the fake bank accounts case before the accountability court as NAB had sought time from the court to respond to their pleas.

Accountability court judge Arshad Malik resumed proceedings in the fake accounts case, which was transferred from the banking court in Karachi to the accountability court of Islamabad on the directive of the Supreme Court.

The Omni Group’s directors filed the applications, seeking acquittal under Section 265-K of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Their counsel argued that the Islamabad High Court had in its order issued on the pre-arrest bail petitions of the three accused observed that there was no nexus of the accused with the case.

APP adds: The accountability court rejected a NAB request for extending the physical remand of former Pakistan Stock Exchange chairman Hussain Lawai and Summit Bank senior vice president Taha Raza and sent them to jail on judicial remand in the fake bank accounts case.

NAB officials produced the two accused before the accountability court on Monday and apprised the judge of the progress in investigation.

The NAB prosecutor requested the court to extend the physical remand of the two accused for further probe.

However, the court rejected the NAB request and sent the accused to jail on judicial remand.

Mr Lawai and Mr Raza are accused of facilitating the opening of fake accounts, which had been used for money laundering.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2019