A Delhi court on Tuesday reserved its order for May 2, 2014 on the issue of taking cognisance of the >Enforcement Directorate’s charge sheet against former Telecom Minister A. Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and 17 others in connection with a money-laundering case relating to the 2G scam.
Special CBI Judge O.P. Saini reserved the order after hearing arguments advanced by the ED in which the agency said that prima facie a case of money-laundering was made out against the accused — 10 individuals and nine companies.
The ED prosecutor told the court that their investigation in the case emanates from the 2G scam and the accused persons allegedly conspired and committed the scheduled offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
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The prosecutor claimed that the transaction of Rs. 200 crore, which was allegedly paid to DMK-run Kalaignar TV, was “not genuine” and it was a “bribe for grant of telecom licences to DB Group companies”.
On the alleged role of Mr. Raja, the ED said, being the Telecom Minister, he was having the principal role in allotment of licences and he “assisted” in the offence of money laundering.
It said that DMK chief M. Karunanidhi’s wife Dayalu Ammal, who has also been charged as an accused, was holding 60 per cent shares in Kalaignar TV whereas co-accused Ms. Kanimozhi and Sharad Kumar were having a stake of 20 per cent share each.
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ED also alleged that there was a “reverse trail” of money from Kalaignar TV to Dynamix Realty through Cineyug Films (CFPL) and Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables (KFVPL).
It said the accused attempted to show that these transactions were genuine but surprisingly the reverse trail of money started when Mr. Raja was called by the CBI for questioning in connection with the 2G spectrum allocation case.
“By the time it was speculated that Raja may be arrested, reverse trail of money started,” it said, adding, “Prima facie this transaction shows trail of money by subsequent beneficiaries...”
“If Raja was not summoned by CBI or a case was not being lodged, perhaps the money could have never come back,” it said, adding their investigation in the case was still going on. The ED had filed its charge sheet on April 25 in connection with the money laundering case relating to the 2G scam.
Apart from Mr. Raja, Ms. Kanimozhi and Ms. Dayalu Ammal, the ED also named promoters of Swan Telecom Shahid Balwa and Vinod Goenka as accused in the case.
Directors of KFVPL, Asif Balwa and Rajiv Aggarwal, Bollywood producer Karim Morani, P. Amirtham and Kalaignar TV MD Mr. Kumar have also been named as accused in the case.
The ED also named as accused STPL, Kusegaon Realty (formerly known as Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables), Cineyug Media and Entertainment (formerly known as Cineyug Films), Kalaignar TV, Dynamix Realty, Eversmile Construction Company, Conwood Constructions and Developers, DB Realty and Nihar Constructions.
In its charge sheet, ED has said its investigation has revealed that the amount of Rs. 200 crore was paid to Kalaignar TV by STPL in the “garb of legitimate financial transactions i.e. as loan/share application money”.