CHENNAI: The Enforcement Directorate’s search operation at 10 locations in Chennai in the alleged Rs 1,000 crore Tasmac bribery scam that began on Friday morning continued for the second day on Saturday.
Tasmac Managing Director S Visakan was once again taken to the Enforcement Directorate’s office in Nungambakkam for questioning, where he was interrogated for at least 10 hours. Sources said that Deva, a prominent hotel owner, was also summoned to the agency’s office for questioning.
ED is conducting the searches to collect evidence on alleged money laundering in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case registered by it.
The agency has booked the case based on 41 FIRs registered by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) regarding corruption in the state-owned liquor marketing company.
ED yet to issue official note on ongoing raids
The first set of searches was conducted in the first week of March at Tasmac’s office in Egmore and at the offices of various distilleries and bottling units that supply liquor to the government firm.
Apart from Visakan’s home in Manapakkam, the central agency searched the properties linked to film producer Akash Bhaskaran of Dawn Pictures; AP Keshav Selvi of KS Smart Solutions, a tech firm which had won contracts of various state government departments; Ratheesh Velu, a Chennai resident close to top government officials; an executive of a bottling firm linked to Tasmac, and a few contractors.
The searches are being carried out against entities alleged to be ‘conduits’ for laundering the bribe money, sources said.
The ED had alleged that illegally generated excess cash of Rs 1,000 crore was used for paying kickbacks in Tasamc. No official statement has been issued by the agency regarding the searches yet.
DVAC raids houses of former minister, MLA
Chennai: DVAC on Saturday searched the properties of former AIADMK minister and party’s Arani MLA Sevoor S Ramachandran and former AIADMK MLA Neethipathi