The charge sheet was filed before Special Judge O.P. Saini, who has fixed January 18 for further hearing.
ED has named Maran, his brothers
Kalanithi Maran, Kalanithi’s wife Kavery Kalanithi, company South Asia
FM Ltd. (SAFL) and its managing director K. Shanmugam and firm Sun
Direct TV Pvt. Ltd. (SDTPL) for money laundering of Rs.742.58 crore.
It was alleged that Dayanidhi Maran
influenced a Malaysian businessman to buy Aircel by coercing its owner
Sivasankaran to part with his stake.
The ED has booked the accused under various charges dealing with money laundering.
The investigation has revealed that Rs.742.58 crore was paid to Dayanidhi Maran by Mauritius based companies.
The money was paid to SDTPL and SAFL, both of which are owned and controlled by Kalanithi Maran.
The money was utilised by the two companies in their business, ED said.
The probe revealed that promoters of the SDTPL are Kalanithi Maran and Kavery Kalanithi.
“Dayanidhi Maran obtained the proceeds
of crime to the tune of Rs.742.58 crore through the companies of his
relatives by camouflaging the proceeds of crime as capital contribution
in SDTPL and SAFL and has committed the offence of money laundering in
receiving the said proceeds of crime in the said companies owned and
controlled by his brother, Kalanithi Maran and Kavery Kalanithi,” the
investigation report said.
It added that Shanmugam was responsible
for managing affairs of SAFL as managing director who assisted in money
laundering process.
In this case of illegal gratification to
Dayanidhi Maran, investigation under PMLA of Maxis, Berhad Malaysia, T.
Ananda Krishnan, Augustus Ralph Marshall, South Asia Entertainment
Holding Ltd (SAEHL), Mauritius, South Asia Software Technology Ltd
(SASTL), Mauritius, South Asia Multimedia Technology Ltd, Mauritius
(SAMTL) and Astro All Asia Networks Plc, Britain (Astro) is being
carried out by sending Letter of Request to Mauritius and Malaysia, the
ED stated.
The execution reports are awaited from these countries, it added.
Investigation pertaining to involvement
of the foreign nationals and others was still being carried out, while
further investigation was also being conducted related to Foreign
Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval in Aircel-Maxis deal and
other issues, it said.
Source : IndianMediaBook - Business
