Congress demands SC monitored probe into Panama leaks

Jairam Ramesh claims Indians named in the list are known friends, well-wishers and ambassadors of PM Modi

The opposition Congress party has demanded a Supreme Court monitored probe into the Panama leaks instead of a multi agency probe of the government, citing Lokesh Sharma's company Twentieth Century Media (TCM) which got contracts from DDCA when Arun Jaitley was Chairman.

Sharma's name and that of his company figures in the Panama Papers. Congress' senior leader and spokesperson Jairam Ramesh asked, "How can he ( Jaitley) now carry out an impartial probe? "

Bolstering their demand, the Congress cited the case of Chattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh's son Abhishek Singh and serious allegations surfacing about his foreign investments in British Virgin Islands but they were never properly probed.

 

Jairam Ramesh, today said, "The Indian list of tax evaders who have invested their ill-gotten wealth in Panama are known friends, well-wishers and ambassadors of Prime Minister Narendra Modi." He alleged that the Modi government was forced to announce a probe due to "public outcry"; "The Prime minister's brand ambassador and friends names have cropped up in these papers. How can there be an impartial investigation by the Finance ministry?"

The Congress spokesperson said that Lokesh Sharma is a known personality in the world of sports and he has close relations with senior BJP leaders.

Elaborating on the details, Ramesh said, on 14th Oct, 2000 there was a meeting of the DDCA under the chairmanship of Arun Jaitley. Producing the minutes of the same meeting, Ramesh said, Twentieth Century Media (TCM) got the right to sell the corporate boxes and collect a commission.

"This is the same Lokesh Sharma whose name comes up in the Panama Papers. He opened companies in the British Virgin Islands. But, all these investigations will be carried out by the Finance Ministry, there is now way there can be an impartial probe." He demanded a Supreme Court monitored probe to look into the Indians named in the Panama Papers.

Reiterating the Congress' demands for a thorough probe into another revelation by the same consortium the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists naming Chattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh's son Abhishek Singh.

Abhishek Singh who is also an MP is alleged to have committed serious fraud, holding of off-shore assets and money laundering in off-shore accounts through fictitious companies. Even when details were revealed by ICIJ on their website, Ramesh said, Singh had dismissed them saying he has no foreign bank accounts.

The Congress has demanded court monitored investigations into these allegations stressing that it has no faith in the BJP ruled Central government ordered probe.