ED case on MHA official over money laundering

Fresh trouble seems to be in store for suspended under-secretary with the ministry of home affairs (MHA) Anand Joshi, as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is likely to register a case against him under the stringent provisions of the “money laundering” Act.

Sources said, “Investigations by the CBI have revealed that Mr Joshi allegedly laundered his ‘ill-gotten’ earnings in various immovable assets as well as in three private firms”.

There are allegations that these private firms were floated by Mr Joshi, sources said adding that the ED is all set to initiate a separate probe under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Mr Joshi to establish the exact amount allegedly laundered by him.

The CBI on May 9 registered a corruption case against Mr Joshi for allegedly issuing Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) notices arbitrarily to several NGOs for financial gains. He was arrested by the agency sleuths on May 15. Mr Joshi is currently in judicial custody.

The CBI is also probing the role of his wife in floating three firms, allegedly owned by Mr Joshi.

CBI’s investigations have already revealed that even after his transfer from the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) division of the ministry, Mr Joshi continued to indulge in corrupt practices “on the basis of secret documents which he had illegally kept with him”.

CBI sleuths also found that Mr Joshi had allegedly made investments in booking a shop in the name of his wife in Indirapuram habitat centre. Certain secret files pertaining to the home ministry and the information and broadcasting ministry were recovered from the premises of the accused officer during searches carried out by the CBI. The files recovered should not have been with the accused officer, they added. The case was slapped against Joshi and some other unnamed persons for allegedly indulging in corrupt practices and arbitrarily issuing notices to several NGOs, registered under FCRA, which were receiving foreign contributions, including activist Teesta Setalvad’s Sabrang Trust. However, Mr Joshi rejected the charge and instead accused his seniors of pressuring him to give a clean chit to NGOs.