Dayalu knew of money transfers, alleges ED

CBI had exonerated Dayalu saying she did not know English and was for this reason unlikely to have played a significant role in the working of the company.

Summary

The ED chargesheet also named Swan promoters Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka as accused.

DMK supremo M Karunanidhi’s wife Dayalu Ammal was involved in decision-making and participated in board meetings at Kalaignar TV, the Enforcement Directorate has alleged in its recent chargesheet in the 2G scam.

CBI had exonerated Dayalu saying she did not know English and was for this reason unlikely to have played a significant role in the working of the company.

P Amirtham, a former chief financial officer of the company who was also named as an accused, is learnt to have told ED investigators about Dayalu’s alleged role in running Kalaignar TV. Amirtham is believed to have said that issues were explained to Dayalu in Tamil, and her approvals were subsequently translated into English.

Based on Amirtham’s testimony, the ED has alleged that Dayalu, a 60 per cent stakeholder in Kalaignar TV, was aware of the flow of Rs 200 crore of scam money that the company allegedly received by a circuitous route.

According to the ED, Kalaignar TV managing director Sharad Kumar, who owned 20 per cent stake, did not understand Tamil, and company employees and DMK MP Kanimozhi, who too owned 20 per cent, would help him communicate with Dayalu.

“She (Dayalu) was very much aware of the money received in the accounts, and its further use,” a top ED official close to the investigation said.

The special court in Delhi is likely to take cognizance of the ED chargesheet on April 30. Dayalu, former telecom minister A Raja and eight others will have to seek bail for alleged money laundering offences.

According to investigators, the promoters of Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd paid Rs 200 crore to Kalaignar TV using their group entity Dynamix Realty, routing it through Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd and Cineyug Films Pvt Ltd in the garb of a loan. But this money was, in fact, illegal gratification for and on behalf of Raja and his associates in lieu of illegal favours given to Swan in connection with the grant of UAS licence.

“Investigations further revealed that the return of Rs 200 crore has been done along with the additional amount in order to show this illegal payment in the guise of legal and bona fide financial transactions. Thus in the garb of loan, it was in fact the illegal gratification, which was apparently projected as untainted property. Besides, the reverse flow of such amount further establishes the projection of proceeds of crime as untainted and is nothing but the process of laundering of money. It will not be out of place to mention here that the entire amount, as stated earlier to the tune of Rs 223.55 crore, was in continued…

Dayalu knew of money transfers, alleges ED