“Ready to Face ED, CBI Investigation”: Ex-CBI Director AP Singh

The ED chargesheet against Qureshi reportedly shows he extorted money by peddling influence using ex-CBI bosses.

AP Singh, the former chief of the CBI.

(Photo Courtesy: Press Information Bureau)

On Monday, 23 October, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a chargesheet against meat exporter and hawala dealer Moin Akhtar Qureshi under the Prevention of Money Laundry Act (PMLA) in a lower court in Delhi.

The chargesheet doesn’t outright name two former CBI directors – AP Singh and Ranjeet Sinha – as the accused, but it does mention cases that fell under their purview. In these two particular cases, Qureshi allegedly extorted money by publicising his ‘personal relationship’ with the two then-chiefs.

In the chargesheet, the ED alleged that Qureshi acted like a middleman between high-profile persons accused in some CBI cases, and Singh and Sinha. The accused also paid huge sums of money to Qureshi to get themselves off the hook.

When The Quint spoke to former CBI director AP Singh, he confessed Qureshi was his acquaintance, but denied all allegations of helping the accused.

Of course I know Moin Qureshi, but I cannot be blamed for corruption if he was taking money using my name. I never discussed any CBI case with him, nor did I know that the accused were approaching him for favours while I was the CBI director.

AP Singh, Former Director, CBI

The Cases in Question

In the chargesheet, the ED states that:

There are conversations to the effect that Moin Qureshi has been regularly sending bribes in the form of gifts to various government servants holding important and sensitive positions, who have received the illegal gratification or pecuniary advantage either themselves or through their kin. The fact of delivering expensive gifts has been corroborated by the witnesses.

Based on the testimony of four key witnesses, the chargesheet, accessed by The Quint, mentions about three different CBI cases in which Qureshi extorted money from the accused and promised undue favours.

CBI Case During AP Singh’s Tenure (2010-2012)

According to the ED, Qureshi extorted money from an accused who was booked in a corruption case in Hyderabad during Singh’s tenure as CBI chief. The accused – who is not a witness for the ED – said in a statement that one of his relatives met Qureshi in 2012 to seek his help in getting him out on bail. He paid Qureshi Rs 5.7 crore, and Qureshi promised to talk to the then-CBI director and get him bail.

Singh denied the allegation, saying he “never interfered in this particular case” when he was heading the investigative agency.

I never interfered in this particular case. It was being investigated by the Joint Director of Hyderabad. I got the case file only when the chargesheet was filed in that particular case. All notings are available on file, agencies can check themselves and decide whether I helped any of the accused.

AP Singh, Former CBI Director

In another case during Singh’s tenure, the accused, a Mumbai-based businessman, in the ‘Loan for Bribery’ scam of 2010, sought Qureshi’s help in 2012 to be relieved of the charges.

CBI Case During Ranjeet Sinha’s Tenure as Director (2012-2014)

According to a witness’ statement recorded by the ED, Qureshi was paid Rs 7.5 crore to get the witness’ father out on bail in a corruption case. The witness said that he was impressed with Qureshi when he showed him photographs of him with CBI Director Sinha. Qureshi called the witness to Janpath Hotel for a meeting, and later drove him to Sinha’s residence, where he told him to wait outside. Qureshi then entered Sinha’s residence. After ostensibly meeting with the then-director for almost an hour, he came back out and promised the witness that his father would get out on bail. But his father’s bail was cancelled in the end.

According to sources in the ED, so far the agency has not been able to establish a money trail leading to the doorstep of the ex-CBI bosses. In the chargesheet, the agency has said an investigation is ongoing into the role of other key players. The ED is likely to file a supplementary chargesheet in the case.

But on 16 February 2017, the CBI had registered a corruption case against Singh and Sinha based on the ED’s findings in this very case.

Here is the copy of the FIR against the ex-CBI Director.

CBI FIR.

I have not been called for questioning by the CBI or ED so far. I am ready to face any investigation. 

AP Singh, Former Director, CBI

Qureshi in Hawala Transactions

The chargesheet reveals Qureshi’s involvement in Hawala transactions through Delhi-based Hawala operator Parvez Ali. According to the ED, Qureshi had transferred money to Dubai and then to Paris, London, USA, Hong Kong, Italy and Switzerland.

During the raid, the ED had recovered huge amounts of unaccounted money from hawala operators.

The chargesheet says:

“The analysis of BBM messages retrieved from mobile phones of Moin Qureshi and his associates revealed that the Hawala operators were used to transfer some of the bribe money (belonging to Government Officials) to different foreign locations like France and UK.”

Though the ED’s chargesheet mentions that “some conversations indicate money changing hands”, it is important for the agency to gather evidence to prove that money eventually reached the ex-CBI bosses, or the agencies fall short of proving criminality on the part of both the ex-CBI directors.

Also Read: Meet Moin Qureshi, the Man Labelled India’s Biggest Tax Evader

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