Zardari, sister among 20 declared absconders by FIA in money laundering case

Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) today declared 20 suspects including former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister as absconders in a Rs 35 billion money laundering case, a media report said today.

The FIA submitted challan of the case against a famous banker and Asif Ali Zardari's close aide, Hussain Lawai and other suspects in a court, the Express Tribune reported.

Besides the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman and his sister Faryal Talpur, 18 others including chairman of a private bank are also declared absconder in the challan, the report said.

Lawai was arrested by the FIA earlier this month in the money-laundering case in which he is accused to have helped facilitate the opening of 29 fake accounts in Summit Bank, Sindh Bank and United Bank Limited.

Last week, Lawai and Summit Bank Senior Vice-President Taha Raza were sent to jail on remand in the multi-million rupee money laundering scandal.

According to police complaint registered against Lawai and others, billions of rupees were deposited into the said fake accounts and subsequently transferred to other beneficiaries, including Zardari and his sister's company, the Zardari Group.

The Zardari Group received Rs 15 million of the laundered money, according to the complaint.