"Withdrawal of Swiss money-laundering case doesn't prove Zardari's innocence"
29 Aug 2008, 1315 Hrs

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Washington, Aug 29 (ANI): It is very surprising to see the withdrawal of the money-laundering case against PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, said a judge in Geneva who originally investigated the charges against him and his late wife Benazir Bhutto.

Daniel Devaud, the judge, said that the withdrawal of the case does not prove Zardari's innocence.

"The withdrawal of the case had come as a shock to me and it should not be interpreted as a sign of Zardari's innocence," the Daily Times quoted Devaud as saying.

Zardari has always denied the allegations, saying they were politically motivated. In view of the money-laundering case, his bank accounts were frozen in 1997 at the request of the Pakistan government while investigating allegations that he had received kickbacks while his wife Benazir was the country's prime minister.

In June this year, the attorney general of Pakistan informed the Swiss authorities that Pakistan was no longer pursuing the case, which was politically motivated and Benazir and Zardari had done nothing illegal.

"For money laundering to be proven, you have to show it was the product of a crime, but we don't have any evidence for a crime committed in Pakistan," Swiss prosecutor general Daniel Zappelli said.

According to one Swiss source, the value of the assets released is about 60 million dollars, said a Swiss official. (ANI)