ISLAMABAD - The National Accountability Bureau has decided to file another corruption reference against former President Asif Ali Zardari and others in case of ‘illegal’ award of contract for solar project to private companies, The Nation has learnt reliably. An investigation team of NAB has collected enough evidence against Zardari in ‘illegal’ award of contract for solar project to a blue-eyed company that allegedly caused Rs10 billion loss to the national exchequer.

Bureau’s eight-member investigation team had visited Sindh last month to gather evidence against Zardari and others in the money laundering through fake bank accounts case. Sources said the probe team had visited different cities including Larkana, Sukkur, Hyderabad and Karachi and recorded statements of different government officials and collected documentary evidences in cases of ‘illegal’ award of contract for solar, JV Opal-225 and Park Lane Company in connection with money laundering through fake bank accounts case. They said the probe team will produce these documents before courts against Zardari and others accused in different corruption cases.

Investigators collected evidence during their visit to Sindh last month

On Friday last, the NAB had filed corruption reference in M/s Park Lane estates against Asif Zardari and 13 other accused in Accountability Court Islamabad. NAB had started an inquiry against Zardari and his son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on charges of illegally transferring forest land to the firm in connivance with some government officials. Bilawal was given a clean chit in the case on June 12 while Zardari is currently under arrest in this case along with money laundering case.  Others named in the reference are Omni Group’s Anwar Majeed, his son Abdul Ghani Majeed, former Stock Exchange chairperson Hussain Lawai, Iqbal Noori, Iqbal Memon, Younis Kudvawi, Mohammad Noori, Sher Ali Uzair Naeem and Muhammad Saleem. Three companies, Tracom, Park Lane and Parthenon, have been named too.