New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday filed a chargesheet in the the Rs 3,500-crore Aircel-Maxis deal case, accusing former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and a few others of laundering Rs 1.16 crore.
The ED has also charged Chidambaram and others for their role in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval in March 2006 to Global Communication and Services Holdings Limited, Mauritius, in violation of various rules and regulations governing the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy in India.
The supplementary prosecution complaint was filed before Special Judge 0.P. Saini, who listed the matter for further hearing on November 26.
2The chargesheet named Chidambaram, S. Bhaskararaman, the Chartered Accountant of Chidambaram’s son Karti, private persons Augustus Ralph Marshall and V. Srinivasan.
The other accused in the case include companies such as Aircel Televentures Ltd., Astro All Asia Networks Plc Malaysia, Maxis Mobile Services Sdn Bhd, Bumi Armada Berhad, and Bumi Armada Navigation Sdn Bhd.
“As per rules and FDI policy of the government in 2006, Chidambaram, the then Finance Minister, was empowered to give approval to foreign investment proposals worth up to Rs 600 crores only.
The foreign investment proposal of Global Communication and Services Holding Limited, Mauritius, was of USD 800 million (Rs 3,650 crore approximately),” the ED said.
The agency alleged that the proposal should have been referred to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), which was the competent authority to give the approval.
“But it was not referred to CCEA, and was approved by Chidambaram under a conspiracy,” the agency said. (PTI)
