Zuneth Sattar is an innocent man of good character and an international business man, his lawyer argued today at a London magistrate court in UK. The lawyer, Simon Farrell QC, pleaded with the Magistrate to allow Sattar to travel to Malawi and Dubai.
Sattar was last year arrested in the UK. He is out on bail and was initially allowed to travel.
Today, the Court heard that the business man had recently travelled to Malawi. The National Crimes Agency (NCA) alleged that the trip intended to tamper with evidence and witnesses, an accusation showdown by Sattar’s lawyer as unfounded.
“A lawyer representing the NCA, Christopher Convey, described the trip to Malawi as ‘an operation’ that sought ‘to influence the outcome of a judicial review’ currently being determined by Malawi’s High Court which is examining the arrest of an associate of Sattar”, reports the Platform for Investigative Journalism (PIJ Malawi).
The NCA argued that it was on these grounds that they amended Sattar’s bail conditions, barring him from travelling to the Southern African country where some of his family members live.
On his part, Farrell, the Queen’s Counsel (QC) who has particular expertise in money laundering, corporate crime, tax fraud and other financial crime cases, dismissed the accusations saying the NCA argued rhetorically.
The Counsel dismissed NCA’s allegations, saying Sattar wanted to visit Dubai for medical treatment and that his trip to Malawi was aimed at visiting his family.
Deputy District Judge Stein, who presided over the case today, sided with the NCA.
Sattar has not been officially charged.
