ISLAMABAD: An accountability court (AC) on Monday deferred indictment of former president Asif Ali Zardari’s friend Younis Qidwai and others in fake bank accounts scam.

The indictment was deferred as the accused did not show up before the court of AC Judge Syed Asghar Ali. The court showing resentment over the non-appearance, the court issued notices to the accused in the plot allotment reference.

Younis Qidwai and other accused have been directed to appear before the court on May 18 for indictment. If the accused fail to appear before the court, non-bailable arrest warrants would be issued for them, the judge remarked.

It may be pertinent to mention that the suspects are accused of illegally allotting plots for welfare purposes in Sindh using fake bank accounts and damaging the national exchequer with a hefty amount.

Asif Ali Zardari, his sister and 32 other accused are facing charges of laundering more than Rs35 billion through fake bank accounts. Zardari’s close aides Hussain Lawai and Anwar Majeed have also been nominated in the scam.