NEW DELHI: In its investigations against
Robert Vadra, the
Enforcement Directorate faces a "Wall of the Dead" with Congress MP
Priyanka Gandhi's spouse putting the burden of explaining the issues thrown up by the money laundering probe on his colleagues, who assisted him acquire properties in Delhi-NCR, but have since passed away. These properties are collectively estimated to be worth several hundred crores of rupees at current market prices.
Vadra's statement was recorded at the ED headquarters here on April 15 in connection with a 3.5 acres of land deal in Gurgaon and transactions done by his Skylight Hospitality Pvt Ltd (SLHPL) and Skylight Realty Pvt Ltd (SLRPL). According to the chargesheet, Vadra was asked to explain how his company could have issued a cheque of Rs 7.5 crore (to the seller of the 3.5 acre land) when the bank account had only Rs 1 lakh balance. He responded by saying, "All financial transactions were taken by late Rajesh Khurana. He must have had a financial plan or understanding of how to act on this land and with the vision of late HL Pahwa would have planned the future financially or sale of this land."
On all the transactions related to the land deal - its payment, sale deed registration and stamp duty payment - Vadra said the "information of the same must have been provided...Any financial matters were handled by late Rajesh Khurana and all decisions related to the same would be handled by late Rajesh Khurana, late HL Pahwa and late Mahesh Nagar". Land possessions of Vadra and Priyanka include 40 acres in Faridabad.
The responses struck ED investigators for the resemblance they do to the ones given by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi during the money laundering probe related to the
National Herald case. Quoting from their statements, ED in its chargesheet against the Gandhis noted that both Sonia and Rahul parried questions related to acquisition of National Herald by Young Indian, in which they together own 76% stake, for a paltry Rs 50 lakh, saying that only the then Congress treasurer Motilal Vora, who passed away more than four years ago, knew the answers.
"Robert Vadra has been evasive in his replies and did not provide any answers to the questions posed to him for explaining the transactions entered by SLHPL and SLRPL with OPPL (Onkareshwar Properties Pvt Ltd). However, the documentary evidence collected during the course of investigation clearly establishes that the sale consideration was suppressed, and thus, the misrepresentations were made in the sale deed as well as in the balance sheet of these entities," ED has noted in its chargesheet.
In the National Herald money laundering case, in his responses to six of 10 questions put to him, Rahul had said, "Motilal Vora would be aware of the transactions". As per the chargesheet, when Sonia, too, was asked to specify the purpose of floating Young Indian, she told investigating officers that only "Vora would have been aware". She, however, could not produce documents to substantiate her claim, ED alleged in its chargesheet.