An accountability court in Pakistan on Tuesday remanded former President Asif Ali Zardari to the custody of anti-graft body National Accountability Bureau for 11 days, Dawn reported. The court directed Zardari to be present in court on June 21.
This came a day after Zardari was arrested in a multi-million dollar money laundering case by the bureau. The former president’s bail application was rejected by the Islamabad High Court. The case is related to transactions worth Pakistani Rs 4.4 billion (Rs 201 crore) that were allegedly carried out through fake bank accounts. According to the prosecution, Zardari received Pakistani Rs 30 million (Rs 1.37 crore) of the money.
The anti-graft body’s prosecutor, Muzaffar Abbasi, told the court that the fraudulent accounts were created with the help of bank officials. The former president’s laywer, Farooq Naek, asked for certain additional facilities during his detention, including a caretaker. Naek told the court that the agency did not provide the warrant for Zardari’s arrest.
Before his arrival, Zardari went through medical examination by a three-member team of the Polyclinic. He was found fit for physical remand, unidentified officials told Dawn. The medical team then submitted a report to the accountability court.
When the court asked why the investigating agency had not acquired its permission before arresting the former president, Muzaffar Abbasi said the bureau took action after the Islamabad High Court rejected his bail plea.
Imran Khan knows nothing about arrest: Zardari
Meanwhile, Zardari said Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan knows nothing about his arrest, and alleged Interior Minister Ijaz Shah had orchestrated it, Geo News reported. He was speaking to the media outside the accountability court.
The Pakistan Peoples Party leader said arresting politicians was the “beauty of politics” in third world countries, and pointed out that former General Pervez Musharraf was unwilling to face prison as he was not an elected leader. Zardari claimed Khan would flee to London in the future.
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