Woes continue to mount on former Finance Minister Chidambaram and his son Karti in corruption cases. While the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday moved a court seeking permission to conduct narco analysis test on Karti, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC)’s Sub Committee sought a CBI probe against Chidambaram for the controversial 80:20 gold import scheme, ignoring objections of Department of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).
Citing complete defiance and non-cooperation, the CBI filed an application in the trial court for permission to conduct narco analysis test on Karti in the INX Media bribery cases. Special judge Sunil Rana said that he will take up the matter on March 9 when Karti is brought to the court after three days of custodial interrogation by the CBI.
The court will also take up for hearing two other applications of the CBI seeking production warrants of Karti’s Chartered Accountant S Bhaskararaman, arrested in the money laundering case by Enforcement Directorate (ED), and co-accused Indrani Mukerjea from Mumbai’s Bycula jail again.
It is learned that the CBI and the ED will soon summon Chidambaram after completion of interrogation of Karti, Indrani and Peter Mukerjeas and Bhaskar Raman.
Meanwhile, putting Chidambaram into tight spot, PAC’s Sub Committee headed by BJP MP NIshikant Dubey found that the former Finance Minister approved the controversial gold import scheme by ignoring the objections of DRI.
Addressing the media, law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said Chidambaram should reveal why he approved this controversial scheme in the last days of the UPA Government. He also questioned the speed of the RBI in approving this on May 21, before the new Government taking charge.
Members of the sub-committee have found that the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence was not in favour of the 80:20 gold import scheme launched in 2013 during the tenure of then Finance Minister P Chidambaram. The sub-committee has also decided to recommend a CBI enquiry into the procedures followed by the then Finance Minister in launching this scheme, a member said on the condition of anonymity. The DRI had hinted that the scheme could lead to round-tripping of black money and money laundering, the sources claimed.
last week, while discussing the CAG report of 2016 on gold imports, the members had questioned Chidambaram’s role over the alleged misuse of the 80:20 gold import scheme by jewellers -- including fugitive Mehul Choksi for money laundering, sources said.
Countering Congress leader Anand Sharma who had claimed that the allegations against Chidambaram were not backed by facts, the law Minister shared a purported office memorandum of the Finance Ministry dated May 15, 2014.
In the memorandum, the premier and start trading houses were allowed to import gold. Prasad said the ruling party always made charges after doing its homework.
“...Was it a price, was it a consideration, was it pressure or was it an obligation. What was it that Mr Chidambaram, a well-informed politician, took this decision one day before the results were to come,” he alleged at a Press conference in the BJP headquarters.
Prasad claimed the nature of pressure or price could be assessed from the fact that in a single day the file travelled with “supersonic speed through nine desks after his signature” and it was followed by the office memorandum.
Prasad asked that the results were announced on May 16 and it was clear that a new Government would be formed, then why did the RBI administration let the notification be issued on May 21, without waiting for new Government to assume office.