The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued fresh summons to senior executives of Air Asia airlines, including its CEO Tony Fernandes for questioning next month in a money laundering case after they did not turn up on January 20.
“We have issued fresh summons. He can appear between February 5 to February 10,” a senior ED official confirmed. The agency has also summoned R Venkataramanan, former director of Air Asia India, over allegations of money laundering. It has asked Venkataramanan to appear before it on February 10.
Venkataramanan was the Tata Sons nominee on the board of Air Asia India, a joint venture (JV) between the two entities. He stepped down as managing trustee of the Tata Trusts in March 2019 and later left Air Asia India.
The airline has denied any wrongdoing and was not immediately available for comments. Fernandes and other top managers of Air Asia are also being investigated by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on charges of criminal conspiracy under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
CBI has registered a first information report (FIR) in May 2018 after which the ED has filed the case based on the FIR. Fernandes and top managers are already under probe by the agency on charges of criminal conspiracy. The CBI said the directors were involved in wrongdoing.
“The shareholders and Indian partners at the JV, including the board members, were not only aware of these intentions but also consciously violated the then FIPB norms,” the CBI FIR had said.
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Fernandes and other managers of Air Asia are also being investigated by CBI on charges of criminal conspiracy under the Prevention of Corruption Act.