Kerala businessman 'fails' to give evidence in 'bribery' case against ED officer: Sources

New Delhi: A Kerala businessman, who recently levelled corruption charges against an ED officer posted in the state, has recorded his statement with the central agency where he is understood to have denied knowing or having any evidence against the said investigator, official sources said Sunday.

The businessman, Aneesh Babu, deposed before the Enforcement Directorate in Delhi on June 6 and his statement was recorded under audio-visual enabled camera by the agency as per the provisions of section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Such a statement made under the anti-money laundering law is admissible before the court.

Babu was directed by the Kerala High Court, after he petitioned it against the ED summons, to appear before the agency on May 30 but he skipped it and appeared on the second summons issued for June 6, agency sources said.

Last month, the Kerala Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) office in Ernakulam had booked Sekhar Kumar, an Assistant Director rank officer of the federal probe agency working at its Kochi office, and some others alleging that some private persons approached Babu and "demanded" Rs 2 crore from him in lieu of "settling" a March, 2021 registered money laundering case being investigated by the ED against him.

Following this, the special task force (STF) of the ED in Delhi field a money laundering case to probe these bribery allegations against its officer and others taking cognisance of the VACB FIR in which Kumar was named as the first accused.

Sources said Babu, during the recording of his statement last week in Delhi, has "denied" knowledge of involvement of any ED officer vis-a-vis the VACB case, saying he "only" knows a person named Wilson.

Wilson, apart from two others, was arrested by the VACB on charges of taking an initial Rs 2 lakh bribe from Babu for "settling" the ED case against him.

According to the sources, the businessman told the agency that he "did not have any evidence" regarding the involvement of the ED officer against whom he had complained to the VACB.

Asked to produce evidence regarding his claim of more than hundred WhatsApp calls between him and Wilson, Babu could not furnish any proof, the sources claimed.

It was found during investigation that a transaction of Rs 50,000 made by Babu to a shell company accused in the VACB case has been "returned".

The sources alleged Babu was probably being "guided" by someone to "implicate" ED officers posted in Kerala.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on May 20 said that the bribery charges had damaged the ED's credibility and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take action to restore public trust in the agency.

The primary ED case against Babu, his father Babu George and mother Anitha Babu was filed taking cognisance of five FIR's filed by the Kerala Police Crime Branch and Kottarakara Police (Kollam district).

They were charged by the police for "cheating" different persons to the tune of Rs 24.73 crore by promising them to import cashews at low prices from Africa through Vazhavila Cashews, Kottarakara.

Sources alleged Babu "did not cooperate" with the ED investigation in the cashew import case so far and has moved courts on various grounds, which were, however, dismissed.

Agency sources had said the allegations against the ED and its officers were a "deliberate" attempt to "tarnish" their image.

These charges, ED sources said in past, appear to be an attempt to trigger a "media trial" and "deflect" attention from the ongoing money laundering case (cashew import case).

ED officer Kumar (37) had recently approached the Kerala High Court seeking anticipatory bail in the VACB case. The HC asked VACB not to arrest him till June 11.

Kumar said in his plea to the HC that he has served in the ED since 2014 and has a clean service record. He said his arrest would cause undue hardship to him.

The officer assured the court that he will fully cooperate with the VACB investigation and will not influence witnesses or tamper with evidence.

The HC also gave a similar relief to Babu and directed him to join the ED investigation in the bribery case and asked the agency not to arrest him for the time being.