Journalism of Courage
In a fresh trouble for DMK Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi and others alleged to be involved in 2G spectrum scam,the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued summons under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to the DMK MP and four others named in the CBI chargesheet. The agency has given them two weeks time to reply to the summons,failing which the adjudications process will start.
According to ED officials,apart from Kanimozhi,summons have been issued to Kalaignar TV managing director Sharad Kumar,Shahid Balwas brother Asif Balwa who is the director of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd,Rajeev Agarwal and Karim Morani of Cineyug Films. All five have been alleged to have facilitated the payment of Rs 200 crore into the account of Kalaignar TV.
We have asked them to furnish documents related to their funding,income and properties, said an ED official,adding that if they do not appear within the given time-frame,they will start the process of attachment of properties. All five,along with Raja and Balwa,have been named in the first supplementary chargesheet filed by the CBI on April 25.
In the chargesheet,the CBI had traced the money trail of Rs 200 crore,which was alleged to be part of the bribe to Kalaignar TV in grant of UAS licence to Swan Telecom. The CBI said the money was transferred into the account of Kalaignar TV following a circuitous route,and payments were made in small amounts. The money was first transferred to Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables from where it was transferred to Cineyug and then to Kalaignar.
The ED had already started the adjudication process in connection with the telecom companies and former telecom minister A Raja during which their properties can be attached. The agency had pegged the violations under FEMA guidelines at Rs 4,300 crore. The first adjudication by the ED is against Swan,Loop and S-Tel and Wellcom Communications. The ED has found that Reliance Telecom had alleged links with Swan. Reliance Telecom held 9.9 per cent equity in Swan when the latter applied for telecom licences. Reliances holding in Swan was transferred to Delphi Investment Ltd,Mauritius,on December 5,2007.
Kanimozhi and four others have also been issued summons to appear before a Delhi court on May 6. Raja and eight others were indicted by the CBI in its first chargesheet filed on April 2.
