Former finance minister P. Chidambaram on Monday termed the allegations of Enforcement Directorate in connection with Aircel-Maxis against his son karti Chidambaram case as a "crazy mixture of falsehoods and conjectures."
"The allegations in the Press note (ED) are a crazy mixture of falsehoods and conjectures," Chidambaram said in an official statement, and added that it cleverly skirts the issue of jurisdiction of the ED.
He further added that the only charge sheet filed in the case has been quashed by the Special Judge.
The Enforcement Directorate earlier in the day attached assets, bank accounts and fixed deposits worth Rs. 90 lakh of former finance minister P.Chidambaram's son Karti, in connection with the Aircel-Maxis case.
During investigation the Enforcement Directorate found that Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval given by P. Chidambaram in Aircel Maxis case was beyond his mandate.
The law enforcement agency, in its investigation, also found that the amount for FIPB approval was wrongly projected to conceal the facts.
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It also found that the company promoted by Karti and P Chidambaram's nephew allegedly received two lakh dollars from Maxis Group in guise of software consultancy.
The former finance minister countered saying that the approval was granted in the normal course, and cited that Finance Minister was competent authority for approval.
"The press note is intended to intimidate me and to silence my voice. I will not be intimidated," Chidambaram added.
"As and when the Attachment Order is served, suitable action will be taken in accordance with law," Chidambaram further said in the stament.
Earlier on September 14, Karti denied to appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the case, stating that a special court had discharged all the accused and terminated the proceedings in the matter.
The CBI, however, clarified that the investigation in the matter is still underway.
Karti wrote to the CBI, stating that as per the notice issued on February 2, 2017, the investigation agency does not have any jurisdiction to issue a summons to him.
The Aircel-Maxis deal refers to a series of allegations of kickbacks in the telecom sector, which was part of the wider 2G scam that engulfed the UPA regime.
In 2011, former Aircel head C. Sivasankaran complained to the CBI that he was being forced by then telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran to sell Aircel to the Malaysia-based Maxis Communications group owned by T. Ananda Krishnan.
Earlier in February, Dayanidhi Maran and the others accused in the Aircel-Maxis case were discharged by a special CBI court.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy had alleged that in 2006 a company controlled by Karti received a five per cent share of Aircel to get part of Rs. 4,000 crore, paid by Maxis for a 74 per cent stake in Aircel.
According to Swamy, P. Chidambaram withheld the FIPB clearance till the five per cent was paid to Karti.
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