The Enforcement Directorate on Friday again interrogated former Finance Minister P Chidambaram for six hours in the Aircel-Maxis money laundering case. This is the third time the agency is interrogating Chidambaram for the money trail from Maxis to son Karti’s firms. ED is expected to charge sheet Chidambaram soon under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). As per the Supreme Court’s order, all probes in Aircel-Maxis scam by CBI and ED has to be finished by September 12.

According to sources, Chidambaram was evasive to many questions posed by the officers on the violations in the FIPB and CCEA rules regarding the foreign investment. The former Finance Minister also claimed that he was not aware of his son’s business or money flow into his firms from Maxis. To questions, Chidambaram tried to put blame on Finance Ministry officers and claimed that he was only a signatory to files processed by them.

ED has already charge sheeted Karti in June and on July 19, CBI has charge sheeted both father and son in the Aircel-Maxis scam. Along with father and son, CBI also charge sheeted former Finance Secretaries Ashok Jha and Ashok Chawla and two serving IAS officers Sanjay Krishna and Dipak Kumar Singh for the FIPB violations to facilitate the illegal takeover of Aircel by Malaysian company Maxis. Around two lakh dollars (Rs.1.16 crore) were received by Karti’s firms from Maxis, said CBI and ED in their charge sheets.

In September 2017, the ED attached Karti’s bank deposits worth Rs.1.16 crore. The trial court is scheduled to start the arguments on cognizance of charge sheets in October after CBI sought time to provide sanction to prosecute the civil servants.

Chidambaram’s nephew Palaniappan, family’s Chartered Accountant Bhaskar Raman and Maxis promoters T Ananda Krishnan and Ralph Marshall are also chargesheeted by CBI[1].

CBI charged Karti and his firms for accepting around Rs.1.16 crores from Maxis when the files were pending with father Chidambaram. First Rs. 26 lakhs were received by Advantage Strategic Consulting Pvt Limited and the balance amount was received through Chess Management Services Pvt Limited.

Aircel-Maxis scam was first exposed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy in April 2012 by exposing Karti’s hidden firm Advantage Strategic Consulting Pvt. Ltd and its secret subsidiary in Singapore. Swamy at a press conference in April 26, 2012 press conference produced documents of money trail of Rs.26 lakh with Karti’s firm and Aircel Televenture. The Supreme Court’s order to finish the probe within six months was based on the petition filed by Subramanian Swamy.

References:

[1] Finally crooked P Chidambaram caught under Prevention of Corruption Act in Aircel-Maxis Scam – Jul 19, 2018, PGurus.com