Aircel-Maxis probe: Malaysia reluctant to send businessmen to India

Comments came a day after the CBI moved to court for issuance of warrants of arrest against Malaysian tycoon T Ananda Krishnan

Malaysia today made public its reluctance to handover two of its businessmen to India in connection with Aircel-Maxis probe being carried out by the CBI, saying the two countries did not have "any such (legal) agreement" for execution of an arrest warrant.

"No, we do not have any agreement with India that we can execute their warrant of arrest. No, we cannot do that," Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar told reporters when asked if Malaysian police would act on the arrest warrants.

The comments of Abu Bakar came a day after the CBI moved a court in New Delhi for issuance of warrants of arrest against Malaysian telecommunications tycoon T Ananda Krishnan and his corporate captain Ralph Marshall.

Krishnan, promoter of Maxis based in Malaysia, and Marshall, who headed Maxis' UK-based subsidiary Astro All Asia Network, are sought by Indian authorities to testify in a money-laundering case against former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran and his brother Kalanithi Maran in connection with the a 2006 Aircel-Maxis deal.

The central probe agency had moved the designated court for issuing arrest warrants against Krishnan and Marshall as the duo had failed to appear before the agency despite being summoned four times by the court.

The summonses to the duo, who had been charge-sheeted by the CBI in August 2014, were sent to the Malaysian Attorney General through diplomatic channel. However, there was no word from the Malaysian authorities on the summons.

The court has fixed August 27 as the next date of hearing on whether to accept the CBI request for issuance of arrest warrants.