New Delhi: Former minister of state for coal Dasari Narayana Rao, a former Congress Rajya Sabha MP and Telugu film-maker was questioned by the ED about the alleged routing of Rs 2.25 crore from a firm to his firm Soubhagya Media.
The former minister told the ED that he was the director of the firm between 2008-11 and that the money had come to the firm after this period, investigators said.
The agency suspects this amount to be tainted and “proceeds of crime” of money laundering. After almost six hours of questioning, Mr Rao told re porters that allegations of financial irregularities levelled against him were false.
“The case has been referred by the CBI to the ED. I was asked a few questions and I replied to them. All allegations against me are prepared stories.
They (allegations) are not correct and I have told them (ED sleuths) the realities,” he said after he emerged from the Delhi zonal office of the ED here. He said he will continue to cooperate with the ED in the case.
Mr Rao flew in from Hyderabad for his first questioning in the case by the ED here after which his statement was recorded under provisions of the PMLA, sources said.
He was MoS (coal) between 2004 to 2006 and again from 2006 to 2008. He has been summoned by the agency again on December 18 with additional documents about his finances and details with regard to executive decisions taken during his tenure in the coal ministry.
