ED arrests SDPI chief Moideen Faizy amid PMLA probe against PFI

“Moideen Kutty K alias M K Faizy was arrested on March 3 from the IGI airport. SDPI is a political front of PFI and Faizy is National President of SDPI since 2018. He was produced at the Patiala House Court and was sent to six-days custody,” an ED spokesperson said.

The central agency recorded his statement and also impounded a mobile phone from him at the airport

“Faizy was summoned by the ED multiple times and was given as many as 12 opportunities, but he didn’t appear and evaded the investigation. A complaint was filed on March 28, 2024 by ED against Faizy before the concerned court for his non-appearance and a Bailable Warrant (BW) vide order dated December 17 last year against him. Subsequently, upon non-execution of BW, a Non-Bailable warrant (NBW) was issued vide order dated January 17 against him and the same also could not be executed despite best possible efforts made to trace the whereabouts of him,” the spokesperson said.

According to the ED, investigations were conducted against PFI and others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act on the basis of FIRs registered by the National Investigation Agency in 2013. “Investigation has revealed that the office bearers, members and cadres of PFI were conspiring and raising/collecting funds from within India and abroad through banking channels, Hawala, donations etc. for committing and financing terrorist acts across India,” the spokesperson said.

The ED had attached the movable and immovable properties amounting to `61.72 crore in this case till date. So far, nine prosecution complaints (PCs) have been filed in this case before the court; 26 members of the PFI have already been arrested in this case.

“During search proceedings conducted on December 3, 2020 at various locations belonging to PFI and its office bearers, numerous incriminating documents and digital evidence were recovered and seized, that establishes that PFI used to control, fund and supervise the activities of SDPI; that SDPI is a front of PFI having common members/cadres and leaders; that SDPI was dependent on PFI for its day-to-day functions, policy making… other related activities,” the ED alleged.

“A letter addressed to ‘Faizy Sahab’ was recovered during the searches conducted at Unity House, Kozhikode (PFI’s Kerala State HQ) which mentions ‘Procedures of selecting candidates’ for state assembly and parliamentary elections. A diary was seized which contains handwritten minutes of meetings of State Executive Committee (SEC) of PFI dated March 16, 2019 which reveals that PFI funded SDPI to the tune of `3.75 crore for the election related purpose,” the ED said.