CBI examines reference from ED to probe Moin Qureshi

Sources told the Indian Express that the reference was received by the CBI in late August and the agency had not been able to decide on any action yet. A recommendation to that effect has, however, been made from within the agency.

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Sources said the “public servants” referred to two former CBI officers who held very high positions in the agency and some of their subordinates.

Qureshi is facing probes by the ED as well as Income-Tax Department for alleged tax evasion, money-laundering and related offences.

Earlier, during the I-T probe, names of former CBI directors A P Singh and Ranjit Sinha had come up as those who had close ties with Qureshi. Both the officers had denied any wrongdoing on their part.

Regarding the reference pertaining to Qureshi, a source said, “It says that Qureshi was accepting money (which could be bribes), fixing deals and moving money for some ‘public servants’. An internal examination of the issue has proposed a probe but a final decision is yet to be taken. It is a matter of examination who these public servants are.”

The I-T Department had issued notices to Qureshi under the new Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015, as probe led it to a few foreign assets owned or held by the meat exporter and his family in an alleged illegal manner as they were not declared or reported to Indian tax authorities.

Qureshi also faces charges of money-laundering and hawala-like dealings, which are being probed by the ED. The case emerged after the I-T Department carried out searches against Qureshi and his firm AMQ Group on February 15, 2014.

The meat exporter was recently in the news after he left the country from the IGI Airport here despite a lookout circular issued by the ED against him. He subsequently approached a local court, which stayed till November 16 the lookout circular and directed him to appear before the agency on November 22.