Enforcement Directorate sleuths on Thursday has conducted the fourth round of interrogation with congress leader Ahmed Patel at his residence in Central Delhi in connection to the money laundering case and Sandesara brothers’ bank fraud worth Rs 14,500-crore.
Law enforcement agency ED has filed a criminal complaint in the bank fraud scam on the grounds of an FIR and charge sheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
A three-member team of the economic intelligence agency, Enforcement Directorate reached the Rajya Sabha MP’s 23, Mother Teresa Crescent residence in the Lutyens’ zone of central Delhi at around 11 AM. ED questioned the accused at his home only after he refused to visit the office citing COVID-19 guidelines restricting senior citizens from going outside.
70 years old Ahmed Patel has communicated that the probe agency has posed 128 questions in all the previous three interrogation sessions for around 27 hours. He was investigated on June 27, June 30, and July 2.
“This is political vendetta and harassment against me and my family and I do not know under whose pressure they (investigators) are working,” said Ahmed Patel.
Ahmed Patel and his family were interrogated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in context to their purported links with the Sandesara brothers, promoters of Vadodara-based Sterling Biotech pharmaceutical company, charged under money laundering case and bank fraud scam pegged at Rs 14,500-crore. The company promoters and directors, Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara, Chetankumar Jayantilal Sandesara, and Deepti Sandesara are absconding.
CBI and Income Tax Department is already probing the matter alleged Sandesara brothers’ nexus with a network with high profile politicians, charges of corruption, and tax evasion.
All the probe agencies are putting their efforts to extradite the Sandesaras as they are stated to be living in Albania in Europe at present.
