ED files prosecution complaint against Amnesty India, others in money laundering case
BENGALURU:
The Enforcement Directorate filed a prosecution complaint against Amnesty International India Pvt Ltd (AIIPL) and others in a money laundering case, the agency said on Saturday. The prosecution complaint or charge-sheet was filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 in the court of Principal City Civil and Sessions Judge, Bengaluru City, Bengaluru.
The prosecution complaint has been taken into cognizance by the said special PMLA court and the summons have been issued to all accused for their appearance before the court. In this case, the federal agency said an FIR was registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation against AIIPL, IAIT, Amnesty International India Foundation Trust and others under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and sections 11, 35 and 39 of FCRA (Foreign Contributions Regulatory Act), 2010.
ED filed a prosecution complaint under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) against M/s. Amnesty International India Pvt Ltd (AIIPL), M/s. Indians for Amnesty International Trust (IAIT) and others in a money laundering case of Rs.51.72 Crore.
— ED (@dir_ed) July 9, 2022
Based on the FIR, the agency said, it has filed a case and initiated the investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). Citing its investigation in the case, the ED said, it is revealed that, in 2011-12, Amnesty International India Foundation Trust had been granted permission under the FCRA, 2010 for receiving foreign contributions from Amnesty International UK.
“The permission and registration have been subsequently revoked to this entity on the basis of adverse inputs received,” said the ED in a statement. Subsequently, the agency said, two new entities, Amnesty International India Pvt Ltd and Indians Amnesty International Trust, were formed in 2013-14 and 2012-13 respectively to escape the FCRA route and received forex in the guise of service export and FDI.
It is further revealed that, upon cancellation of FCRA Licence of Amnesty International India Foundation Trust by the Government of India, a new method was adopted by Amnesty entities to receive money from abroad as Amnesty International, U.K. sent Rs 51.72 crore to AIIPL in the guise of Export of Services and Foreign Direct Investment. Further, for export proceeds and advances received for the export of services to Amnesty International UK, the ED said,” There was no documentary proof for the alleged export such as invoices and copies of the agreement between AIIPL and Amnesty International UK and the same has not been furnished by AIIPL to the Authorized Dealer (AD) Banks.”
“AIIPL and others have committed scheduled offence by claiming to be carrying out “civil Society work”, however receiving forex in a profit-making company, thereby misusing the FDI, which to amply proved by the absence of any details and documents relating to exports made and layering of remittances received by AIIPL, a company into IAIT, a charitable Trust,” the ED said. In this case, it further said, both the entities have acquired proceeds of crime and layered the same in the form of various movable properties.
“Subsequently, two Provisional Attachment Orders have been issued for the attachment of movable properties worth Rs 19.54 crores and the same has been confirmed by the Adjudicating Authority (PMLA), New Delhi,” added the agency. (ANI)
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