Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader and Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu has appealed to the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate the cases filed against YSR Congress president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy in the light of Panama papers revelations.
Mr. Ramakrishnudu, in a statement on Thursday, alleged that the name P.V. Ramprasad Reddy, founder of Aurobindo Pharma, figured in the Panama papers and that he was a relative of Mr. Vijaya Sai Reddy. Everyone knows that Mr. Vijaya Sai Reddy is a close associate of Mr. Jagan. “While Mr. Vijaya Sai Reddy is benami for Mr. Jagan, Mr. Ramprasad Reddy is benami for Mr. Vijaya Sai Reddy,” the Minister alleged.
The ED and CBI filed charge sheets in 2013 saying money laundering took place, and the ED had even initiated attachment proceedings, he recalled. Government lands allotted to Indu Tech zone and Lepakshi Knowledge hub were mortgaged to banks and the money received in the transaction was laundered to countries like British Virginia Islands, Mauritius, Luxemburg and other countries. The ED and CBI had mentioned these transactions in their charge sheets. In 11th charge sheet, cases were filed against Mr. Jagan, M. Vijaya Sai Reddy, Mr. Syamprasad Reddy and Aurobindo representatives, he said. “At this juncture, it is appropriate that the ED and CBI take cognisance of the Panama papers and investigate.”
Mr. Ramakrishnudu asserted that neither Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu nor Heritage Foods owned by his family members had any financial dealings with Motaparthi Sivarama Prasad, whose name figured in Panama papers. Mr. Prasad hasn’t made any investments in Heritage Foods, he added.
