Ahmed Patel has served as political secretary to UPA chairperson and Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
New Delhi:
Congress chief Ahmed Patel was questioned for the fourth time nowadays by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) around his alleged back links with the Sandesara brothers, the promoters of Sterling Biotech, who are currently being investigated in excess of allegations of a Rs 14,500-crore financial institution loan fraud.
Ahmed Patel, a Rajya Sabha member and one of Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s essential advisers, was questioned in three different periods earlier in June.
“My buddies from the ED visited me currently. In the very last four times, I have been questioned 152 concerns. I don’t feel there is certainly everything else still left to question. I have presented them each and every single detail, but I would like they would also query other people today in the exact same manner… then we might know that it’s a well balanced investigation allow the regulation get its very own course,” the Gujarat MP said, incorporating that an individual who has not performed any wrong should really not panic.
The 70-calendar year-aged, who has accused the federal government of “using probe agencies every time it confronted a crisis or when there was an election”, was authorized questioning at residence just after he refused to go to the probe agency’s workplace citing prevailing COVID-19 policies that discourage senior citizens from heading out.
In accordance to resources in the Enforcement Directorate, an worker of the Sandesara brothers had claimed that he handed dollars to Mr Patel’s son-in-legislation Irfan Siddiqui at the Congress veteran’s residence.
The company experienced questioned Mr Siddiqui and Mr Patel’s son Faisal and recorded their statements very last year.
The case includes a Rs 14,500 crore bank financial loan fraud allegedly by Sterling Biotech and its main promoters and administrators – Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara, Chetankumar Jayantilal Sandesara and Deepti Sandesara – all of whom are lacking.
Nitin and Chetankumar are brothers.
Investigators allege this is a larger bank rip-off in quantity than the Rs 13,400 crore Punjab Countrywide Lender fraud involving jewelers Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi.
The Sandesaras are also dealing with independent inquiries by the CBI and the Income Tax Section for their alleged nexus with substantial-profile politicians and charges of corruption and tax evasion.
The brothers fled India in 2017 and are said to be primarily based in Albania, from wherever India is seeking to extradite them.
The ED registered a felony case in link with the alleged bank bank loan fraud on the foundation of an FIR and a charge sheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
(With inputs from Organizations)
