Islamabad - In a major development, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Friday summoned PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on December 24 in fake accounts probe for JV-Opal-225, a joint venture of Zardari Group Ltd.
NAB has asked PPP Chairman to appear before the NAB Rawalpindi office on December 24 (Tuesday) at 11:00 am.
The Opal-225 (referred in tax record is a joint investment of Zardari Group Ltd) was initiated on October 15, 2011. In 2009, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his father became shareholders of the company. Both of them have a stake of 25 percent each in the company.
Allegedly, billions of rupees were transferred to the company’s accounts via fake bank accounts. The company took out loans of billions of rupees from the banks.
Earlier, on December 9, the National Accountability Bureau filed eight references in the fake bank accounts case in the NAB court.
According to the NAB, reference was lodged against alleged embezzlement in the Sindh Bank funds of worth billions.
More than 20 accused including Bilal Shaikh, Tariq Ahsan and others have been named in the reference, over accusations of awarding loan of worth Rs29 billion to the OMNI group.
According to the reference Rs25 billion out of Rs29 billion still have to be repaid. Loan of Rs1.184b was granted to OMNI group via fake companies, while 1.84 billions of rupees
The anti-graft watchdog is conducting investigations in pursuance of the Supreme Court’s verdict in the fake accounts case wherein it forwarded the joint investigation team (JIT) report with directions to investigate and file references.
Former president Asif Ali Zardari, Bilawal, his aunt Faryal Talpur, former Sindh chief minister Qaim Ali Shah, provincial minister Anwar Siyal, others are among as many as 172 accused in the fake accounts case.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) had granted bail to Asif Zardari on medical grounds.