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Ahmed Patel’s son Faisal Patel quizzed by ED
Faisal’s statement was recorded earlier in the case last week under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Faisal Patel, son of senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel, on Thursday was questioned at the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) office for questioning in the alleged bank fraud and money-laundering case involving Sterling Biotech Ltd (SBL), promoted by the Sandesara brothers, two officials aware of the matter said on condition of anonymity.
He was also questioned by the agency on Wednesday for his alleged links with the Sandesara brothers and his statements were recorded, one of the officials said.
Faisal’s statement was recorded earlier in the case last week under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Investigators are reviewing allegations against him made by one of the employees of SBL, Sunil Yaday, the official added.
Abhishek Singhvi, the counsel for Faisal Patel, said the questioning should not be “sensationalised”. “A person has merely been called as a witness to ascertain facts . There is no warrant to try and convert this by innuendo and insinuation into a status of an accused,” he said.
Yadav, in his statement before the directorate, alleged that he once handed over Rs 5 lakh to Faisal’s driver in a market in New Delhi on the instructions of Chetan Sandesara, one of the promoters of SBL, the official said.
ED in June this year attached moveable and immovable properties worth Rs 9,778 crore of SBL, Sandesara group and promoters Nitin and Chetan Sandesara under the provisions of PMLA.
Earlier in 2018, the agency attached assets worth Rs 4,730 crore of the business group and its promoters. The case was registered against them by ED after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a first information report (FIR) against them in October 2017 for cheating and bank fraud to the tune of Rs. 5,383 crore, officials said.
Patel refused to comment on the questioning.
