‘I have done no wrong’
Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, July 31: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) today questioned former Chief Minister and president of National Conference Dr Farooq Abdullah in connection with a money-laundering case related to alleged financial irregularities in Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA).
Abdullah, who is Member Parliament (MP) from Srinagar and former president of the JKCA, appeared before the ED at its Chandigarh zonal office and his statement was recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. He was questioned for around four hours during which he was asked about JKCA money transfers to the accounts of JKCA members and other individuals besides raising of Bank loans against these deposits.
Click here to watch video
The ED had filed the money-laundering case after taking cognisance of a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR and chargesheet. The chargesheet was filed in July last year against Abdullah and three others for allegedly misappropriating over Rs 43 crore from grants given by the BCCI to the JKCA for promoting cricket in the State between 2002 and 2011.
The BCCI gave Rs 112.33 crore to the JKCA between 2002 and 2011 for the development of cricket facilities in the State. Of this, Rs 43.69 crore was siphoned off and misappropriated allegedly by the JKCA president and its office bearers.
The JKCA money in crores of rupees was transferred to multiple bank accounts of different individuals in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan besides Jammu and Kashmir by the JKCA officials and reason for transfer of funds is not known.
Huge amounts of money had been transferred from the accounts of JKCA to the accounts of different office bearers (then) of JKCA and other individuals, who were having no connections with the Association.
The modus operandi of the suspects for siphoning off funds of JKCA was to get issued cash credit certificates against remittances received from BCCI and avail the loans and thereafter get the loan accounts closed in order to misappropriate the loan.
A document that was produced by the CBI with the charge sheet in the court last year showed that on the authority of letter issued by Abdullah, a loan of Rs 1.9 crore was raised against own deposits of the JKCA on July 3, 2008 and proceeds whereof were credited to current account No. 90605 of Ahsan Mirza maintained with the Bank at Khanyar and the documents had been signed by Branch Manager.
The CBI had charged Abdullah, the then JKCA general secretary Mohammad Saleem Khan, the then treasurer of the JKCA Ahsan Ahmad Mirza and J&K Bank executive Bashir Ahmad Misgar under the Ranbir Penal Code sections related to criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.
The JKCA scam was being investigated by Jammu and Kashmir Police but it was later handed over to the CBI in 2015 on orders of a Division Bench of High Court.
Abdullah said that he had “done no wrong” and was open to scrutiny. “I have done no wrong. I am open to investigation,” he said after questioned by the ED. He said that it was not the job of the president of the JKCA to keep a track of how the funds received from BCCI were spent. “I have recorded my statement today. The matter is sub-judice and I have full faith in the judiciary of the country,” he added.
Farooq’s arch rival, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti, came out in support of him. “JK cricket scam is an old case that’s been under investigation for quite some time. ED questioning Farooq sahab at a time when J&K mainstream parties are collectively standing up to protect its unique identity raises suspicions & questions,” she said in a tweet.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
