Zakir Naik's trusted aide held by ED for money laundering

Enforcement Directorate on Friday arrested Zakir Naik's trusted aide Abdul Kadir Najmudin Sathak for allegedly "actively assisting" him in money laundering.

According to ED, the money laundering was done through "dubious" origins from UAE to facilitate production and broadcasting incriminating videos for spreading communal hatred and radicalisation of a particular community.

Sathak, who is a jeweller by profession, was director of M/s. Global Broadcasting Corporation FZE LLC which owned the Peace TV channel that used to broadcast communal and inflammatory speeches by Naik from UAE for the Middle East and Africa.

"PMLA investigation revealed that the company of which Sathak was the director was controlled by Naik through him as he was his trusted aide," said the ED statement.

The ED said that the content of the Peace TV channel was allegedly made in India by M/s Harmony Media Pvt Ltd, Mumbai, which was also controlled by Zakir Naik by placing his sister, Nallah Noorani and his close associate Aamir Gazdar as directors.

Moreover, "the funds required to record the content for Peace TV was routed through M/s. Global Broadcasting Corporation FZE LLC, Dubai. An amount of Rs 79 crore (approximately) was received from M/s. Global Broadcasting Corporation FZE LLC to M/s Harmony Media Pvt Ltd," read the ED statement.

"But for these monies, it would not have been possible to produce these controversial speeches of Zakir Naik and reach wider audiences through Peace TV. The source of fund remitted by M/s. Global Broadcasting Corporation FZE LLC to Harmony Media is suspicious as there were no advertisements run on this channel and Sathak has not submitted any details of the same. The arrangement was made to project the transfer of money from M/s. Global Broadcasting Corporation FZE LLC to M/s Harmony Media Pvt Ltd, as a business transaction," said the statement.

Both the entities, M/s Global Broadcasting Corporation FZE LLC and M/s Harmony Media Pvt Ltd, were directly controlled by Naik through his trusted aides, according to ED.

During the course of investigation, it came to light that the videos were also allegedly exported to the United Kingdom by Sathak.

"There was no monetary transaction in respect of videos exported to the UK, which further raises suspicion. Further investigation in the matter is under progress," the ED statement read.

Earlier, a total amount of Rs. 50.49 crore worth of properties belonging to Zakir Naik, Islamic Research Foundation which he founded and properties acquired by him in the names of his relatives were attached provisionally by the Enforcement Directorate. Aamir Gazdar, a close associate of Zakir Naik was also arrested for aiding him to deal with the proceeds of crime.