ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday accepted the bail petition of Omni Group chief 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 agency, the court said while directing authorities to place him on the Exit Control List (ECL). The court order also required him to surrender his passport to the court.
During the 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. To which, Justice Mushir Alam, presiding over the hearing, said: “Anwar Majeed should not obstruct investigations.”
Majeed’s counsel, 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, 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.
Majeed, a close aide to Zardari, approached the top judicial forum last month, maintaining that he needs to undergo a medical procedure possible only abroad.
The case is being pursued by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) which is investigating 172 important personalities, including Zardari, PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Faryal Talpur, former Sindh chief minister Qaim Ali Shah, Sindh minister Anwar Siyal and property magnate Malik Riaz for allegedly opening fake bank accounts to transfer money abroad.
