The Indian government is on its efforts to reach out seven countries including the UK to ascertain the allegations that some public servants received bribes from Indian meat exporter Moin Qureshi by obtaining millions of rupees parked at their choice of foreign cities through hawala channels, said India’s business daily, The Economic Times in a report.
The letters of rogatory (LRs) have been issued to Hongkong and Singapore. The government has tendered its approval to approach the courts for issuance of LRs to the UK, country’s federal investigation agency, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and law enforcement and economic intelligence agency Enforcement Directorate (ED) said in a statement to an Indian local court.
LRs to Dubai, Switzerland, France, and the US are in progress and are expected to appear before the court shortly for its approval, according to the probe agencies, The Economic Times reported.
Earlier, the probe agencies, ED and CBI strongly objected Qureshi’s petition to visit Dubai and France from October 17 to 27 for a world food festival. The court later on October 16 permitted Qureshi to move abroad in the absence of fresh evidence again him.
Investigators in their reply to the local court said Qureshi and his members of the family held many bank accounts in various countries. The investigation agencies have named 45 foreign bank accounts “into which proceeds of crime were found transferred” in eight countries. In the US the Qureshi has 20 bank accounts followed by France (eight), UK (seven), Hong Kong (four), Singapore (two), Italy (one), Ireland (one), and the UAE (one).
Qureshi is also the sole beneficiary and owner of a foreign firm M/s Bulova Holdings Ltd having its office at Offshore Incorporation Centre, British Virgin Island, according to one of the two probe agencies.
“A house property situated at Chesterfield House, flat number 4, South Audley Street Mayfair, London valued at £3,850,000 was allegedly purchased in name of this company M/s Bulova Holdings Ltd, whose sole beneficiary owner is Moin Qureshi,” the probe agency said.
The Indian investigators have named two alleged hawala operators, Parvez Ali and DS Anand. Hawala operators were used to transfer bribe sum to various foreign locations such as France, UK, Dubai, and others, according to the agencies.
Both investigation agencies have also alleged that Qureshi laundered cash through three foreign entities, M/s Barro Holdings, M/s Bulova Holdings in Seychelles, and M/s Noyce Consultancy in Belize. Respective bank accounts of these firms were opened in BSI, AG Bank in Singapore, Hong Kong and OCBC Bank in Singapore, Indian investigators said.
Qureshi’s employees Aditya Sharma, Ishemet Kaur, Deepali Yadav, and Dinesh Gupta in their statements under PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002) have confirmed that they were transferring money to Dubai, UK, Paris, Italy, and the US through hawala channels.
The money sent for transfer by Qureshi was collected at his Karol Bagh office, the Indian investigators said. Qureshi was liaising and getting illegal money from a number of persons for helping them using the public servants.
