Commentary of key accused mentions Kamal Nath’s son, Khurshid, Patel, internet of offshore corporations
| New Delhi |
November 17, 2020 4:30:55 am
Rajiv Saxena advised ED concerning the internet of transactions between his company and that of Christian Michel (left) with entities owned by means of Kamal Nath’s nephew Ratul Puri (proper)
Now not simply former Madhya Pradesh Leader Minister Kamal Nath’s nephew Ratul Puri however his son Bakul Nath, too, along side Congress leaders Salman Khurshid and Ahmed Patel, reveals point out within the interrogation statements of Rajiv Saxena, chartered accountant and key accused within the Rs 3,000-crore Augusta Westland VVIP chopper deal case.
Saxena, these days on bail, used to be extradited from Dubai in January 2019 and used to be interrogated by means of the Enforcement Directorate, which hooked up his property value Rs 385 crore. The ED is now earlier than the Ultimate Court docket in a bid to divest Saxena of his approver standing for allegedly now not absolutely disclosing the info of the case.
Saxena’s observation, working into over 1,000 pages (together with supporting paperwork) used to be accessed by means of The Indian information along side copies of banking statements, data of offshore corporations, and piece of email between key avid gamers. Those display a number of alleged hawala transactions and a posh internet of offshore constructions that Saxena admitted to putting in for the co-accused.
The crux of Saxena’s observation main points how alleged kickbacks of the Augusta Westland deal — it used to be cancelled by means of the UPA II govt – flowed via two corporations, Saxena’s Interstellar Applied sciences and International Services and products owned by means of Christian Michel who used to be extradited to India in December 2018 and stays in prison.
Those payoffs, Saxena advised ED, “have been (additionally) for the good thing about political leaders and bureaucrats who have been in a positionof influencing the verdict at that time of time. A few of these budget have been as soon as once more, without delay or not directly, via structured transactions, and one of the vital constructions arrange by means of me, have been routed into investments in India.”
In its newest supplementary chargesheet filed on September 17, the CBI has stated that during 2000, Saxena received 99.9% stocks of Interstellar Applied sciences.
The chargesheet cites Letters Rogatory from Italy and Mauritius and alleges that Saxena, in collusion with Gautam Khaitan, won Euro 12.40 million within the account of Interstellar Applied sciences from Augusta Westland. This used to be “additional routed/laundered for paying the middlemen and suspected public servants concerned within the case…”
There also are main points of bills totalling Euro 9,48,862 made by means of International Services and products into 4 corporations owned by means of Saxena: Pacific Global FZC; Midas Metals Global LLC; Metolix Ltd; and Eurotrade Ltd.
Saxena’s interrogation specializes in monetary transactions of 2 different key Augusta Westland case accused, defence broker Sushen Mohan Gupta and previous Madhya Pradesh Leader Minister Kamal Nath’s nephew Ratul Puri.
Each Gupta and Puri had been in custody and are actually on bail.
Saxena alleges that “name-dropping” by means of Gupta and Khaitan used to be “mythical.” “They often dropped names of main political figures of their dialog with a purpose to galvanize upon their affect within the corridors of energy. They steadily discussed the names of Salman Khurshid and Kamal uncle which I deduce used to be a connection with Mr Kamal Nath…”
Answering an immediate query on political beneficiaries, Saxena stated: “I’m conscious that Interstellar Applied sciences Restricted used to be some of the primary corporations to obtain kickbacks from the Augusta Westland. Interstellar Applied sciences used to be beneficially owned by means of Sushen Mohan Gupta who managed the corporate via Gautam Khaitan…All over my conferences with Sushen Mohan Gupta and Gautam Khaitan they steadily discussed political beneficiaries in India. The call AP used to be discussed by means of them and used to be a connection with Ahmed Patel.’’
Revealing alleged political hyperlinks of the payoffs by the use of corporate constructions arrange by means of him or via his Dubai-based corporate ies Restricted and International Services and products have flowed into Moser Energy Restricted (Ratul Puri’s corporate) via Optima Investments P Ltd, an organization managed by means of Ratul Puri and his circle of relatives.”
In his observation, Saxena brings up a a very powerful reference to an organization known as Pristine River Investments. “We (Sushen Mhan Gupta and himself) won bridge investment via Pristine River Investments, an organization controlled by means of John Docherty for Bakul Nath, son of Kamal Nath. Thus, not directly budget from Interstellar Applied sciences and International Services and products have been used to pay off the loans from Pristine River Investments.”
When contacted, Kamal Nath advised The Indian information: “I’ve mentioned previous that I’ve not anything to do with the firms or transactions of my nephew, Ratul Puri. So far as my son, Bakul Nath, is anxious, he’s an NRI founded in Dubai. I had heard about him being described because the Really helpful Proprietor of Pristine River and after I spoke to my son, he stated he knew not anything concerning the corporate. There are not any paperwork or financial institution accounts which end up a connection to him. Someone can open an offshore account and put a reputation of any individual as Really helpful Proprietor and now not even tell him. He won’t even find out about it.”
When contacted, Khurshid stated: “I’m stunned that my call has cropped up as a part of the Augusta Westland investigations. Dev Mohan Gupta, the daddy of Sushen Mohan Gupta is an in depth circle of relatives pal and I’m his smartly wisher. But even so understanding him smartly, I have no idea or have any reference to different individuals named within the case like Ratul Puri or Rajiv Saxena.’’
Curiously, in some of the newest units of dozens of question-answer transcripts, Saxena has admitted that Ratul Puri had visited him in Dubai following his spouse Shivani Saxena’s arrest by means of the ED in December 2018.
All over the assembly, Saxena stated, he (Saxena) confirmed Puri proof of remittances from International Services and products connected to the Augusta Westland kickbacks. He has additionally admitted that, “he (Ratul Puri) mentioned that he didn’t know Christian Michel James however those transactions had been performed by means of his hawala operators…I’ve been despatched messages by means of him for the reason that time he got here to Dubai teaching me to not give any record/knowledge/observation linking his father or his uncle in any topic…”
When contacted, Puri advised The Indian information: “Neither I, in my private capability nor my corporate had been focused on any industry with regards to defence, defence procurement or armaments…We function and personal a couple of companies in quite a lot of nations…we conform to all of the vital native laws, rules and rules that pertain to India. Because the topic is sub-judice, due to this fact, we can’t remark.”
