The Enforcement Directorate (ED) may ask the external affairs ministry to nudge Malaysia and Mauritius into providing information required to complete the probe into the controversial Aircel-Maxis deal involving a former telecom minister.
The ED — tasked with fighting financial crime — had sent a judicial request to the two countries seeking information needed to file a second charge-sheet in the case around a year ago. However, there has been no response.
The first charge-sheet filed last month had accused former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran of coercing a Chennai-based entrepreneur into selling his stake in telecom firm Aircel to Malaysia-based Maxis in 2006.
Maran, a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader and telecom minister in the UPA-I government, is also accused of receiving bribes in excess of Rs 740 crore from Malaysian firm, Maxis Communication Berhard.
In its judicial request for assistance, the ED wanted details about individuals and firms linked to the money-trail in the case. A government source said the information was “critical” to file its supplementary charge-sheet.
He added that ED would request the foreign ministry to take up its case with the respective governments. “We are also ready to send our teams to the two countries to expedite compliance with our requests..”
{{/usCountry}}He added that ED would request the foreign ministry to take up its case with the respective governments. “We are also ready to send our teams to the two countries to expedite compliance with our requests..”
{{/usCountry}}The CBI probe — that investigated violation of the anti-corruption law in the same deal — too had faced lack of cooperation from Malaysian authorities. The ED had got into the picture in 2012 after the CBI concluded that the Prevention of Money Laundering Act too was violated.