ISLAMABAD - Interpol has arrested the main suspect, Masood Aslam, wanted by the Federal Investigation Agency FIA in the mega money laundering scandal also known as fake accounts case.
Official sources in FIA confirmed that Masood Aslam, the chief financial officer of the Omni Group of Industries, was arrested while he arrived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from London by a commercial flight.
FIA through Interpol had got issued red warrants for the suspect a few days ago. According to official sources, Interpol formally informed the FIA about his arrest and the agency will constitute a special team in the coming days to bring Masood back to Pakistan after formally taking him into its custody.
FIA officials have termed the arrest of chief financial officer of Omni group of Industries as a major breakthrough in the biggest money laundering scandal of the country that also allegedly implicates former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur. The investigations have revealed that Masood Aslam was the alleged mastermind behind the scam that involved transfer of billions of rupees through fake bank accounts. It is being expected that the accused would disclose important secrets in connection with the scandal.
A joint investigation team headed by FIA’s Additional Director General Economic Crime Wing Ashan Sadiq is investigating the fake accounts scam. FIA had initially unearthed and investigated the case but later Supreme Court formed the JIT while it includes representatives of Inter-Services Intelligence, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, National Accountability Bureau, State Bank of Pakistan and Federal Board of Revenue.
The JIT in its recent report submitted before the apex court has said that fake banks accounts with the involvement of 36 benami companies and 600 persons were used for transaction of more than Rs 90 billion. The report said that most of the benami companies were linked with Omni Group owned by Anwar Majeed, a close aide of Co-chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Asif Zardari. The JIt head had told the Sc that not only the government departments but private financial institutions were also allegedly involved in the scam.
The court had issued non-bailable arrest warrants against Aslam after he was declared an absconder in August. The court had also issued non-bailable arrest warrants against other absconding suspects in the case.
An initial probe into the case had suggested that Rs35bn were transferred through fake accounts opened in different banks. FIA in July had arrested known banker and Asif Ali Zardari’s close aide Hussain Lawai for his alleged involvement in the scam. The agency in August had also arrested another close aide of former president and Chairman Omni Group Anwar Majeed, and his son, Abdul Ghani Majeed, in connection with the scam.