AgustaWestland scam: ED officials conduct raids in Hyderabad, Delhi and Mumbai
Hyderabad: Enforcement Directorate officials on Monday conducted multiple raids in Hyderabad, Delhi and Mumbai regarding an alleged money laundering route from Mauritius via Dubai to Indian companies in connection with the multi-crore AgustaWestland scam.
Searches were conducted at 10 places in the three metros including at Sagar Society in Banjara Hills in Hyderabad, and on the premises of Metkore Alloys and Industries limited.
ED has been probing the allegation that Rs 360-crore graft money was allegedly routed in the guise of genuine business transactions by Finmeccanica, the parent company of AgustaWestland, through Mauritius and Dubai.
Directorate sources said that under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, freezing orders were issued against shares worth Rs 86.07 crore owned by companies in Dubai, Mauritius and Singapore.
An ED source said, “We have conducted searches at Metkore Alloys and Industries Limited, earlier known as Cronimet Alloys India Limited, formerly known as GMR Ferro Alloys and Industries Limited. The Dubai-based company Cronimet Mercon Invest Limited, which started acquisition of GMR Ferro Alloys Limited in 2008, acquired it totally in 2010. There was no one in the office when we searched the premises. We have recorded the statements of workers and other caretaking staff.” MD of Metkore Alloys and Industries Ltd Booru U. Prashanth is the son-in-law of Mr Grandhi Eswar Rao, promoter of Vasavi Industries.
Metkore Alloys and Industries Ltd has a ferro alloy plant in Srikakulam. When the phone number mentioned on the Metkore letterhead was dialled, it was found to be out of service.
No response from Metkore
Meanwhile, the number provided by Metkore on their website connected to the GMR office at Begumpet where they said they had nothing to do with the company. Repeated efforts made by DC over phone and email to GMR officials and the company’s communications department failed to get a response.
The Enforcement Directorate had filed a case regarding the AgustaWestland scam in July 2014 against former Indian Air Force chief S.P. Tyagi, businessman Gautam Khaitan, his wife Ritu, three Italian middlemen — Mr Christian Michel James, Mr Guido Ralph Haschke and Mr Carlo Gerosa — and 13 others.
