IMA scam: Mansoor worked out math well, tough for cops to link money trail

IMA chief had 42 days to figure out his plan; financial data saved on cloud is now with SIT
Mansoor Khan
Mansoor Khan

BENGALURU: The Special Investigating Team (SIT), which is interrogating Mansoor Khan, founder of I Monetary Advisory and key accused in the multi-crore scam, has accessed a lot of data involving financial transactions that was saved on a cloud account. Mansoor has been in SIT custody since Saturday. Sources said that Mansoor, who fled Bengaluru on June 8 and returned on July 19, had 42 days to work out the mathematics. 

Interestingly, Mansoor reportedly revealed the same amount of money to Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials, when he was interrogated. However, sources said that SIT officials are now in a fix as several people whom they have interrogated, are quoting lower amounts of money, while Mansoor has mentioned more in the cloud account.

“For instance, if he has paid `5 lakh to someone, he mentions it in his accounts as ` 5 crore. It looks like he worked out everything, and also fabricated the amount so it adds up to the amount of money he has collected from investors,” a senior officer said.

MANY NAMES DOING ROUNDS

According to senior police officials, though SIT has only been interrogating him since Saturday, panic has erupted among political and police circles. Although most officials and politicians say it is very difficult for investigating agencies to nail Mansoor, there is a possibility of the latter revealing names of several people involved in the scam.

According to investigating officers, the money mentioned in Mansoor’s laptop and what’s found in the cloud account to establish the money trail, is going to be a challenge. For instance, against an IPS officer’s name, it is mentioned that `5 lakh was paid to the Personal Assistant (PA) of a senior Congress leader from Tumakuru, to clear the bills of his daughter’s wedding at a five-star hotel on MG Road. “As per a statement by one of Mansoor’s directors, Nizamuddeen Azeemuddin, `5 lakh was referred to by the police officer, and it came to light that the amount was used to clear the wedding bills,” an investigating officer said.

Also, a prominent Kuruba leader from Mysuru had instructed Mansoor to give Rs 10 crore to a media company, which is also mentioned in Mansoor’s laptop. There are several other politicians and six IPS officers with whom Mansoor has claimed to have had financial transactions.

“Among the politicians, we have those from the then ruling party, and IPS officers. However, whatever he has mentioned and the names he has revealed need to be corroborated, and that’s going to be the next challenge for investigating officers,” said another senior police officer.

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