How meat exporter Moin Qureshi extorted money at behest of former CBI directors
"In support of this, two public witnesses came forward and gave their statements that they had paid around Rs 7.5 crore to Qureshi to help them in getting relief from the investigating agency, CBI,"
Did the millionaire meat exporter Moin Qureshi act as an extortionist at the behest of former CBI directors? The chargesheet filed against Qureshi under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act states that he had used his clout with several CBI directors to help several accused get relief.
The Enforcement Directorate had arrested Qureshi on August 25 in a 2016 case. He was accused of allegedly fixing forex dealings and tax evasion. He was further accused of being involved in high end hawala transactions.
It is further alleged that he had extorted Rs 5.75 crore from a businessman in lieu of providing him help in a CBI case with the aid of a serving director of the central probe agency, the Enforcement Directorate has alleged.
"Moin Qureshi has extorted Rs 5.75 crore from a businessman under the promise of providing help in his family case with the CBI through the then director. One more businessman had to pay Rs 1.75 crore to Qureshi in lieu of the promise to help in a CBI case," the ED said in a statement making an apparent reference to former Central Bureau of Investigation chief A P Singh.
Singh has also been booked by the agency under various criminal provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), apart from Qureshi and others.
The agency said he (Qureshi) had been "regularly sending gifts to various government servants holding important and sensitive positions who obtained the illegal gratification or pecuniary advantage either themselves or through their kith and kin".
It said, "BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) messages exchanged between Qureshi and the accused persons involved in other criminal cases and also the persons who wanted to seek undue favours from the other investigating agencies of the government by getting them off the hook."
The
ED
said,
"In
this
way,
he
also
obtained
huge
amounts
of
money
for
providing
influence."
The
money
was
obtained
in
the
name
of
government
servants/political
persons
holding
public
office
and
they
either
obtained
the
money
for
themselves
or
through
their
kin,
it
said.
"In support of this, two public witnesses came forward and gave their statements that they had paid around Rs 7.5 crore to Qureshi to help them in getting relief from the investigating agency, CBI," the ED said.
Similarly, it said, a Mumabi-based businessman, an accused in the 2010 loan-for-bribery scam probed by the CBI, was also seeking favours from the agency through Qureshi and his contacts.
The ED said its probe showed that Qureshi, through his company Ms India Premier Services Pvt. Ltd. (IPSPL), applied for obtaining concessionaire agreement from airport operating company Ms DIAL (Delhi International Airport Limited) for running lounge services at the Terminal-3 of the Delhi airport, but this was scuttled due to the "reservation of intelligence agencies".
"During the course of investigation certain facts have emerged which constitute omission and commission of certain acts on the part of certain public servants holding high positions in collusion with Qureshi causing huge amounts of illegal money transactions.
"Investigations have revealed that Qureshi was beneficial owner of offshore companies having bank accounts abroad," it said. It has also been found that he has properties in Dubai and London, it said.
The ED alleged that Qureshi was involved in hawala transactions through Delhi-based hawala operators.
OneIndia News