ISLAMABAD: An Accountability Court on Wednesday adjourned hearing of Park Lane and mega money laundering cases against former president Asif Ali Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur and others without proceedings due to absence of defence counsel.

Accountability Court-II Judge Muhammad Azam Khan, while hearing Park Lane and mega money laundering cases adjourned the hearing of the case Park Lane case till March 25 and mega money laundering case till March 26 because of absence of defence counsel.

NAB Prosecutor Irfan Bola, Zardari’s counsel Farooq H Naek’s associate and lawyers of other accused appeared before the court. The prosecution witness, Zahoor ur Rehman, also appeared before the court for recoding his statement.

At the start of the hearing the counsels for Zardari and others filed separate applications seeking exemption of their client from personnel appearance before the court which it approved.

The court adjourned hearing of both the case when it was informed that advocate Sajjad Akbar Abbasi, a counsel of an accused mother’s died yesterday due which he could not attend the proceedings.

Those who were nominated by the NAB in the supplementary reference filed in connection with Park Lane case included Asif Ali Zardari, Muhammad Iqbal Memon, director Park Lane Company, M/s Park Lane Estate Private Limited, Muhammad Iqbal Khan Noori director M/s Parthenon (Pvt) Ltd, Muhammad Hanif Accountant M/s Park Lane Estate, M/s Parthenon (Pvt) Limited, an incorporated entity bearing certificate of incorporation under the provision of the Companies Ordinance 1984, and Hussain Lawai, former president Arif Habib Bank, and the Summit Bank.

The other accused included Abdul Ghani Majid, shareholder/director Regent Service (Pvt) Ltd multiple companies known as Omni Group, Khawaj Anwar Majid shareholder director Omni Group, Taha Raza public relationship manager Arif Habib Bank now Summit Bank, Farooq Abdullah area branch manager HBL, Uzair Naeem former AVP Summit Bank, M/s Tracom (Pvt) Ltd through GM south-an incorporated entity bearing certificate of incorporation under the provision of the companies office, Muhammad Saleem Faisal General Manger (GM) M/s Tracom (Pvt) Limited, and Zahir Ismail.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021