'Proceeds of crime used by Vadra to channel funds from UAE for UK asset'

NEW DELHI: A special court had on Saturday asked businessman Robert Vadra to appear before the ED to face questioning regarding a case registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, while giving him interim protection from arrest until February 16.
Earlier, the Rajasthan HC had asked Vadra and his mother to appear at the ED's Jaipur office in connection with allegations of money laundering with regard to controversial land deals involving his company in Rajasthan.
Two of Vadra's close aides, Manoj Arora and Jagdish Sharma, have already been questioned by the agency multiple times. Arora has been questioned regarding London properties and money transaction by UAE-based shell entities, while Sharma has been asked about a Malcha Marg property situated in Delhi's Diplomatic Enclave. Vadra, according to agency sources, has been confronted with the evidence gathered by the ED and statements recorded by Arora and Sharma.
Moving a remand note against Arora last month in a Delhi court, the ED had claimed that proceeds of crime (from different deals) was used by Vadra to channel funds from UAE to buy a property at 12, Bryanston Square, London, worth £1.9 million.
"Vadra was beneficially controlling this property... not only executing renovation work of this property but also arranging funds for the same," the agency had alleged.
It had further claimed that the property was purchased by defence dealer Sanjay Bhandari for £1.9 million and sold in 2010 for the same amount despite incurring additional expenses of approximately £65,900 on its renovation.
BJP alleged Vadra acquired properties in London through front entities that had later transferred these assets to Skylight Investments. Vadra is already facing an ED probe for investments in Gurgaon and Bikaner in Rajasthan through his Skylight Hospitality Pvt Ltd.
TOI had earlier reported that Vadra's aide Sharma was questioned in connection with the Malcha Marg property which was once owned by Bharti Sangam Trust of late Congress leader V C Shukla.
On Shukla's death, Bharti Sangam Trust was handled by his daughter. However, it has emerged that Sharma is now its convener. Initial probe has revealed that this Diplomatic Enclave property was allegedly sold to Emaar-MGF during 2008-09 when an Italian national, Guido Haschke, was its director. Haschke is one of the three accused in laundering of Rs 423 crore alleged bribe money in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal.
The ED, in its second chargesheet filed earlier in the AgustaWestland case, had accused Haschke as one of the three middlemen who had "managed" to influence the IAF decision on "reducing the altitude ceiling of helicopters from 6,000m to 4,500m in 2005" to make AgustaWestland eligible for bidding .