ED issues show-cause notice to Amnesty for 'violating' foreign exchange law

The ED has issued a show-cause notice to Amnesty International, a human rights watchdog, for alleged violation of the foreign exchange law to the tune of over Rs 51 crore, officials said on Thursday,

They said the notice was issued, after completion of the probe, under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

The notice was issued last month by the Adjudicating Authority of the FEMA which is a special director rank officer of the Enforcement Directorate, the officials said.

The alleged FEMA contravention is related to the borrowing and lending regulations to the tune of Rs 51.72 crore for rendering civil society activities in the country by getting remittances from its parent body, Amnesty International UK, in the garb of export of services, they said.

The central agency had last year conducted searches at the offices of the organisation in Bengaluru on charges of alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).