The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday questioned former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram in the INX Media money laundering case.
ED officials grilled the former Union Minister on several issues, including Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media in 2007, soon after he arrived at the agency’s office around 11 a.m.
Former finance minister P Chidambaram was on Wednesday summoned by the Enforcement Directorate to appear before it in connection with the INX Media money laundering case.
The Delhi High Court had earlier on November 29 extended Chidambaram’s interim protection from arrest in the money laundering case till January 15.
The ED and the CBI are probing how Chidambaram’s son Karti managed to get clearance from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB).
The senior Congress leader and his son have come under the scanner of investigating agencies in the Rs 3,500-crore Aircel-Maxis deal and the INX Media case involving Rs 305 crore.
It was during his tenure as finance minister in the UPA-1 government that clearances from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) were given to the two ventures, in which alleged irregularities have been found.
In the INX Media case, the CBI had registered an FIR on May 15 last year, alleging irregularities in the FIPB clearance to the media group for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007.
It is alleged that his son Karti Chidambaram illegally took service charges for getting the FIPB clearance to the INX Media for receiving funds from abroad.
Thereafter, the ED had lodged a money laundering case in this regard.
ED probe revealed financial linkage of Karti and his father with INX Media and Maxis group despite the “contradictory and evasive” responses of various people questioned in connection with the case.
Karti Chidambaram was arrested on February 28 by the CBI in the case and was granted bail. His Chartered Accountant S. Bhaskararaman was also arrested and later granted bail.
Both P Chidambaram and Karti Chidambaram have denied the allegations levelled against them by the CBI and the ED.