FEMA violation: ED cross-examines ex- IPL chief

Former Indian Premier League (IPL) commissioner Chirayu Amin on Thursday appeared before the Special Director, Enforcement Directorate(ED), Mumbai for cross examination by former IPL chairman Lalit Modi lawyers in an alleged case of violation of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

During questioning, Amin said he was not aware of any financial decisions made by Modi.

Amin assumed the post of IPL chief immediately upon suspension of Modi on April 26, 2010 for being accused of financial irregularities.

"The decision to shift the IPL was authorised by Shashank Manohar, the then BCCI President, and necessary RBI permissions for transfer of funds to overseas entity named Cricket South Africa (CSA) and other procedural processes were to be complied with by the Secretary and Treasurer of BCCI," said Mehmood Abdi, counsellor of Modi, in an official statement.

Last month, the Bombay High Court accepted Modi's plea to cross-examine the top officials of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) who were in power in 2009.

On July 20, 2011, the ED had issued show cause notices to Modi and the BCCI under provisions of FEMA regarding the alleged transfer of a sum of Rs 243.45 crores to Cricket South Africa without prior permission of the RBI ahead of an IPL tournament in 2009.

The ED was subsequently allowed by the HC to summon several former BCCI officials, including then president Shashank Manohar and then secretary N Srinivasan, as witnesses in the matter.

The cross-examination of the concerned witnesses is scheduled to take place between March 1 and March 13.

The cross-examination will take place before Special Director, ED, who is the Adjudicating Authority under directions of the Bombay HC.