ED recordsdata money-laundering chargesheet towards Amnesty India, linked organisations

By PTI

NEW DELHI: A day after the ED issued a FEMA show-cause discover of Rs 61.72 crore towards Amnesty India and its former head Aakar Patel, the company on Saturday mentioned it has filed a money-laundering cost sheet towards the organisation and some different entities.

A prosecution criticism has been filed earlier than the courtroom of Principal City Civil and Sessions Judge, Bengaluru metropolis towards Amnesty International India Private Limited (AIIPL), Indians for Amnesty International Trust (IAIT) and others.

The courtroom has taken congnisance of the cost sheet filed underneath the legal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and issued summonses to the accused, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) mentioned in an announcement.

The money-laundering case was filed by the ED after taking cognisance of a CBI FIR towards the accused, whom the latter company had booked for alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010 and underneath part 120B (legal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The ED mentioned throughout “2011-12, Amnesty International India Foundation Trust (AIIFT) had been granted permission under the FCRA, 2010 for receiving foreign contribution from Amnesty International, UK”.

“The permission/registration has been subsequently revoked to this entity on the basis of adverse inputs received,” it added.

Subsequently, two new entities – AIIPL and IAIT – had been shaped in 2013-14 and 2012-13 respectively to flee the FCRA route and these entities obtained overseas trade “in the guise of” service export and FDI, the federal company mentioned.

It mentioned because the FCRA licence of AIIFT was “revoked” by the Centre, a “new method” was adopted by Amnesty entities to obtain cash from overseas as Amnesty International, UK despatched Rs 51.72 crore to AIIPL within the guise of export of companies and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

There was no documentary proof for export proceeds or advances obtained for export of companies to Amnesty International, UK akin to invoices and copies of the settlement between AIIPL and Amnesty International, UK and the identical has not been furnished by AIIPL to the authorised seller (AD) banks, the ED alleged.

“Amnesty International India Pvt Ltd and others have dedicated scheduled offence by claiming to be finishing up ‘civil Society work’, nevertheless receiving foreign exchange in a profit-making firm, thereby mis-utilising the FDI, proved by the absence of any particulars/paperwork regarding exports made and layering of remittances obtained by AIIPL, an organization into IAIT, a charitable belief.

“In this case, both the entities have acquired proceeds of crime and layered the same in the form of various movable properties,” the company mentioned.

The show-cause discover issued on Friday underneath the civil legislation of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) penalised AIIPL for Rs 51.72 crore and Patel for Rs 10 crore.

Patel had mentioned they may problem the ED motion undertaken underneath FEMA in courtroom.