ED examines Hasan Ali Khan in money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) examined Pune-based stud farm owner Hasan Ali Khan on Monday in connection with its probe into a massive money laundering case against the businessman and other associates. Khan’s fresh examination is part of the ongoing investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for allegedly stashing away $8 billion of unaccounted money in foreign banks. Khan, who was jailed under PMLA, was released on bail in August last year.

Sources in ED said that Khan was called on Monday to the agency’s office in Mumbai to remain present and render help in “extricating” data from the hardware of the gadgets seized from his premises during searches conducted by it on February 9, after a gap of at least two years. “The agency also wanted to take Khan’s voice samples to match them with certain audio evidences. However, his statement was not recorded and will be done at a later stage, if required,” the official said.

Meanwhile, Khan’s counsel Prashant Patil said that taking a voice sample of his client was against the law. “Nothing substantive was asked and Khan was threatened to speak something which the officer shall write on a piece of paper and then the officer would record the voice sample. To this, Khan refused as it’s against principles of natural justice,” Patil said. Patil further said Khan told investigators that he was “ready to cooperate with them” but they should record his voice sample in “normal conversation mode”.