FAZAL SHER

ISLAMABAD: The accountability court hearing multibillion rupees fake accounts case involving former president Asif Ali Zardari Friday extended physical remand of finance managers of three different sugar mills till July 8.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials produced finance managers of three sugar mills including Tando Allayar Sugar Mills finance manager Kazim Ali, Khoski Sugar Mills finance manager Aman Ullah and Chambar Sugar Mills finance manager Faisal Nadeem before accountability court Judge Muhammad Bashir after expiry of their remand term.

The Bureau arrested three accused in Karachi after recording the statements of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on June 10.

NAB Prosecutor Sohail Ahmed requested the court to extend the physical remand of accused for 14 days to conduct further investigations from them. While arguing before the court, he said the accused persons had incurred losses of Rs 846 million to national exchequer.

“The three accused have opened fake bank accounts and allegedly misappropriated Rs 846 million,” he said adding that accused Ali embezzled Rs 81 million through fake bank accounts while Aman Ullah misappropriated Rs 66 million.

Nadeem opened fake bank accounts and embezzled Rs 27.6 million, he said. The prosecutor told the court that accused Aman Ullah had obtained a subsidy from Sindh government through a fake firm and illegal documents. The accused is also a defaulter of Rs 18 million loan taken under the pretext of helping out the poor farmers.

The NAB prosecutor told the court that three accused have opened fake bank accounts in the names of nine employees. The defence counsel objected to the NAB’s request and urged the court to reject the Bureau’s application.

The court after hearing the arguments of both sides granted physical remand of the three accused to the NAB till July 8.