Fresh trouble in offing for Kani, Raja
30 July 2013 10:48 PM GMT
Fresh trouble is in the offing for Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leaders MK Kanimozhi and former telecom minister A Raja. Enforcement Directorate is set to file a chargesheet against Kanimozhi and Raja for alleged money laundering charges in the 2G telecom spectrum case. The decision comes following a ruling by a the Jharkhand High Court.
The agency is understood to have found evidence with regard to the channelling of Rs 200 crore to the DMK family-run Kalaignar TV through a circuitous route and has relied on a 2010 Jharkhand High Court order to slap the charge of ‘criminal proceeds’ against the accused, including the duo, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The court order, relating to Hari Narain Roy vs Union of India, had stated that any money laundering related offence prior to the date of amendment of PMLA can be prosecuted under the said Act.
This particular deal of Rs 200 crore pertains to a period before 2009.
The court order, according to top sources in Revenue department, said agency reports, has ‘made it clear and straight’ for law enforcement agencies like ED to prosecute any act leading to laundering even if they were committed before June 2009 when PMLA was amended and sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of IPC were included as scheduled offences for invoking the stringent PMLA and nailing the accused for money laundering charges.
Section 3 of PMLA states that ‘whosoever directly or indirectly attempts to indulge or knowingly assists or knowingly is a party or is actually involved in any process or activity connected with the proceeds of crime and projecting it as untainted property shall be guilty of offence of money laundering.’
The agency is understood to have found evidence with regard to the channelling of Rs 200 crore to the DMK family-run Kalaignar TV through a circuitous route and has relied on a 2010 Jharkhand High Court order to slap the charge of ‘criminal proceeds’ against the accused, including the duo, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The court order, relating to Hari Narain Roy vs Union of India, had stated that any money laundering related offence prior to the date of amendment of PMLA can be prosecuted under the said Act.
This particular deal of Rs 200 crore pertains to a period before 2009.
The court order, according to top sources in Revenue department, said agency reports, has ‘made it clear and straight’ for law enforcement agencies like ED to prosecute any act leading to laundering even if they were committed before June 2009 when PMLA was amended and sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of IPC were included as scheduled offences for invoking the stringent PMLA and nailing the accused for money laundering charges.
Section 3 of PMLA states that ‘whosoever directly or indirectly attempts to indulge or knowingly assists or knowingly is a party or is actually involved in any process or activity connected with the proceeds of crime and projecting it as untainted property shall be guilty of offence of money laundering.’
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