ISLAMABAD    -    Former president Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday appeared before the Combined Investigation Team of National Accountability Bureau and recorded his statement in M/s Harish and Company in connection of ongoing probe into money laundering through fake accounts case.

The NAB investigation team headed by Director General NAB Rawalpindi Irfan Mangi grilled Pakistan People’s Party Co-Chairman Asif Zardari more than one and half hour in this case. Zardari is facing the allegation that Harish and Company was awarded a contract for water supply from the provincial Special Initiative Department but it did not do the required work on the project and the funds reserved for the project were used to meet the expenses of Naudero House. The Harish and Company was used as a front company by Park Lane Estate owned by Asif Zardari and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

On Wednesday, Islamabad High Court had granted interim bail to former president Asif Ali Zardari in six corruption cases investigated by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) besides extending his bail in Park Lane and fake accounts cases till June 12 and May 22. According to sources, DG NAB Rawalpindi recorded his statement and asked him the questions related three cases including Harish and Company, JV Opal and suspicious transactions. They said Asif Zardari had requested to give him time for submitting the written reply of questions.

NAB had also summoned PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhuttoo today in M/s Park Lane case for recording his statement. It will be the second appearance of Bilawal Bhuttoo before NAB CIT in same case. NAB had also recorded the statements of Zardari’s close aides Abdul Ghani Majeed and Munahil Ghani in the same case.

Earlier, Asif Zardari had also submitted his statement in the Park Lane case and denied his involvement in these cases. Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto, Faryal Talpur, Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah and former CM Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah had also appeared before NAB CIT and recorded their statements in the same case.

Talking to media, Farooq H Naek, lawyer for Asif Ali Zardari has rejected the connection of his client with Harish and Company. He said the name of Asif Zardari was not mentioned in this reference but the NAB CIT summoned him which is not justice. He denied that Zardari was not a director rather a shareholder in Park Lane.

Naek said that Asiaf Zardari had recorded his stamen in three different cases and he has no connection with anyone out of these three. He said all NAB cases were registered on the political basis.