An Islamabad accountability court indicted on Monday former president Asif Ali Zardari in the Park Lane reference.

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairperson appeared before the court for the hearing via video link from Bilawal House in Karachi. During the hearing, Zardari that since his lawyer was not present, the indictment should be postponed.

Accountability Court Judge Mohammad Azam Khan told him that his lawyer had been issued a notice and did not appear, so the process will not be stopped. The judge read out the charges against the PPP leader, which he denied, local media reported.

The court was set to indict Zardari last month but deferred after Farooq H. Naek, counsel for Zardari, filed an application. The application challenged the accountability court’s jurisdiction and sought transfer of the case to a banking court.

The National Accountability Bureau has accused Zardari of misusing his authority as the former president and approving loans for companies allegedly owned by him. He is accused of causing Rs 4 billion loss to the national exchequer.