Businessman and tycoon Vijay Mallya was re-arrested and released on bail in London on Tuesday afternoon on new charges relating to the Indian Enforcement Directorate’s money laundering case against him.
Appearing in court in a dark blue jacket, Mr. Mallya spoke twice: first to confirm his name and personal details, and then to respond with a “No” to the question of whether he consented to his extradition.
Mr. Mallya has been battling attempts to extradite him to face charges relating to fraud and money laundering. Ahead of the hearing, Mr. Mallya said he had “done nothing wrong” and described the allegations he was facing as “fabricated.”
Speaking for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which is pursuing the case on behalf of the Indian government, barrister Mark Summers said the supplemental money laundering charges were made in India on June 14, which though compendious, would be broken into different charges by the CPS. Mr Summers said all allegations are related to the existing charge of fraud.
“The money laundering charge is founded on the same facts…it is concerned with the destination of the money,” he told the court. “The government alleges that some may have ended up in Force India Formula 1,” he added, when asked for further details by the Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot.
While the additional charges add a new level of complexity to the case, requiring further submissions from both sides, including for India to update its outline of the case, both sides are pushing for the existing dates for the hearing — December 4 — to be maintained. “Naturally we were concerned about the implication that this has for the timetable and the hearing — we are keen to keep the same hearing and that is the date the government has pushed for,” said barrister Ben Watson, representing Mr. Mallya.
“We don’t want this happening on a regular basis,” said Ms. Arbuthnot of the addition of the new charges, warning that if it kept happening, it could put the dates for the hearing at risk. She concurred with a defence request that no new material should be produced in relation to the case.
Mr. Mallya was arrested on April 18 this year, after the extradition request was issued on January 31, since when a number of cases and management hearings have taken place ahead of the extradition hearing, which begins on December 4 and lasts for 8 days.
The next hearing is due to take place on November 20.
Mr. Mallya remains on bail until December 4.
