AgustaWestland case: ED set to take over tainted assets

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is set to take possession of movable and immovable properties worth Rs 1.12 crore allegedly belonging to an Italian national involved in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case soon.
The properties, attached by the ED in March this year, are in the name of a media firm but belong to a foreign national being probed in the case. According to an order issued by the anti-money laundering agency, it includes a flat in the posh Safdarjung Enclave area of south Delhi, a luxury car and a fixed deposit of Rs 54 lakh.
ED sources said the worth of the properties was based on their book value and that the market value of the flat alone would now be around Rs 8-9 crore.

The order was confirmed by the Adjudicating Authority, a quasi-judicial body set up under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to decide serious cases filed by the agency.
"The agency will soon take over these assets and clamp prohibitory orders after its attachment order was confirmed by the Adjudicating Authority recently," sources said.
ED had registered a criminal case under the provisions of PMLA last year to probe alleged financial violations in the deal for the 12 VVIP choppers.

The agency had earlier tracked purported payments, running into lakhs of rupees, made by middleman to some of the officials as "personal unexplained payments", which included reimbursements made in connection with foreign travels.

The flat was bought by a Delhi-based travel businessman but the purchase was allegedly funded by the European businessman, ED sources had said.
The agency had arrested businessman-lawyer Gautam Khaitan in this case last year and he is currently out on bail after ED filed its first charge sheet in the case.
Some more assets of other accussed in the case are also likely to be similarly attached.