KOCHI: After completing the investigation into the sending of Rs 56-crore black money by a Bulgarian company to a Kochi-based businessman, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a prosecution complaint (final report) before the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court. The complaint was filed against Elamakkara native late Jose George on July 16.
Besides Jose George, ED also named his wife Beena Jose and daughter Ann Linda Jose as accused. In the complaint, the ED said Jose was indulged in money-laundering and the family could not furnish proper sources of the money traced from their accounts. George's wife and daughter assisted him in the illegal activity, said the complaint, which sought action against them under Section 3 of the Prevention of Money-Laundering Act (PMLA). The complaint also said the court should permit the ED to confiscate their property under Section 8(5) of the Act.
It was in June 2016 a Bulgarian company named Zezvda deposited $86,50,000 (`57.95 crore) in George's account for exporting sunflower oil. However, in the probe it was found no such shipment took place and the documents Jose had produced were fake. The shipping agent and the company were non-existent.
“The Bulgarian company has not come up with a claim for the amount deposited in George's account till now. We attempted to communicate with the company management, but they did not cooperate with the investigation. As the source of the amount was not revealed, we could establish it was unaccounted money,” said an ED officer.
Since George is no more, ED is looking to take necessary action against his wife and daughter. “The amount from Bulgaria was transferred to the accounts of his wife and daughter. Hence, they were included in the complaint,” the officer said. Last year, ED had attached `56 crore from the account of the accused. Of them Rs 28.09 crore were in Indian currency and the remaining in US dollars.