ED files Prosecution Complaint in Embraer SA defence deal case
New Delhi, Dec 9 (UNI) Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday said that it has filed Prosecution Complaint against Embraer SA of Brazil, Interdev Aviation Services Pte Ltd, Director of KRBL Limited Anoop Kumar Gupta, KRBL Limited, Anurag Potdar, the nephew of Anoop Kumar Gupta and others before PMLA Special Court here in a case of Embraer SA defence deal case of UPA regime under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) 2002.
The Prosecution Complaint has been filed with a prayer for confiscation of attached assets to the tune of Rs 16.29 Crore apart from awarding punishment to the accused persons.
Central Bureau of Investigation registered an FIR on the basis of a reference received from Chief Controller of Research and Development of Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO), Department of Defence Research and Development under Ministry of Defence with regard to the allegations that Embraer was being investigated by authorities of US and Brazil for alleged employment of an agent in facilitating the contract for AEW&C Project with CABS/DRDO for procurement of three fully modified EMB-145 aircraft.
Based on CBI FIR, the ED initiated investigation under the provisions of PMLA and during investigation it was revealed that the company Embraer SA Brazil obtained the contract for supply of aircrafts to Indian Air Force for US Dollar 210 million and paid commission of US Dollar 5.76 Million to a middleman named Vipin Khanna for influencing the said contract in its favour.
The said kickbacks were routed by Embraer SA, Brazil through its subsidiaries to Interdev Aviation Services Pte Ltd, Singapore in lieu of sham agreement. The kickbacks to the tune of around US Dollar 3.275 million were further routed from Interdev Aviation Services Pte Ltd to KRBL DMCC, Dubai which is a 100 percent owned subsidiary of KRBL Ltd in lieu of sham agreement to finally reach India through KRBL Ltd projecting the same as untainted money.
KRBL Ltd is the manufacturer of India Gate Basmati Rice.
Further, investigation also disclosed that Anoop Kumar Gupta, Director of KRBL Limited signed the sham agreement held between Interdev Aviation Services Pte Ltd and KRBL DMCC to receive Proceeds of Crime (PoC) which were finally received in the bank account of KRBL Ltd in which he is one of the Director.
Investigation conducted so far resulted in issuance of provisional attachment order of proceeds of crime in the form of immovable properties worth Rs 16.29 Crore belonging to KRBL Ltd which was duly approved by the Adjudicating Authority under PMLA.
Possession of the confirmed attached properties have also been taken by the probe agency, the ED said, adding that the further investigation in this case is under progress.
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