Former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran has alleged that the assets were attached to him by the Enforcement Directorate in the Aircel-Maxis case as a result of a political conspiracy. Maran’s statement comes a day after the ED issued an order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
According to The Hindu, Maran said that the ED’s probe based on CBI findings is an attempt to disrepute him and that the allegations of an illegal gratification of Rs 742.58 crore are untrue. He also claimed that the Enforcement Directorate was trying to please someone.
The ED had attached property that I had acquired in 2002-2003, even before alleged crime. The fixed deposits they’ve frozen are my own earnings. The ED is trying to please someone.
– Dayanidhi Maran, Former Telecom Minister
The law states that the property attached to an individual or an entity has to be acquired from the proceeds of a crime.
Meanwhile the DMK to which Dayanihi Maran belongs has issued a statement saying that the party should not be linked to the investigation in any way.
The investigation, according to the ED, has revealed that illegal gratification of Rs. 742.58 crores was paid by the companies based in Mauritius for Dayanidhi Maran, in the two companies namely M/s Sun Direct TV Pvt. Ltd (SDTPL) and M/s South Asia FM Ltd (SAFL). These two companies are owned and controlled by Kalanithi Maran. The money has been utilized by the companies in their business or investments.
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