NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday informed the Delhi High Court that it would name AAP an accused in the money laundering case in its next supplementary chargesheet. After hearing arguments, the court reserved its judgement in the bail plea.
“The AAP is going to be made a co-accused in the next prosecution complaint (chargesheet),” ED counsel Zoheb Hossain contended before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma.
The ED made the submission while opposing the bail plea of former deputy CM Manish Sisodia in the excise policy-related money laundering case.
The probe agency’s lawyer said there were concerted efforts by the accused to delay the process of framing charges in the case.
While seeking bail for Sisodia, his counsel submitted that the ED and CBI were still arresting people in the money laundering and corruption case, and there is no question of early conclusion of the trial. Further arguments on the bail plea are going on.
The ED told the Supreme Court that it was considering making AAP an accused and invoking Section 70 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act to probe the aspect of “vicarious liability.”
The HC last month observed that a political party can be brought within the purview of the PMLA. The ED has likened AAP to a company and Kejriwal as its "director."
As per the observation made by the court last month, a political party means “an association” or “a body of individuals” and falls under the ambit of Section 70 of the PMLA.