HYDERABAD: With the Anti-Corruption Bureau having recorded the statement of Municipal Administration and Urban Development Principal Secretary Dana Kishore, the Enforcement Directorate now plans to do the same to proceed further in its investigation into the Formula-E race fund transfer case. The ED had registered an ECIR in the case last week.
Sources said that ED officials have reportedly asked their ACB counterparts to provide a copy of Dana Kishore’s statement.
However, it is believed that the ACB officials have baulked at this request since the matter is in court. They are believed to have told the ACB that they would willingly provide a copy of the statement after December 27 — when a petition filed by former minister KT Rama Rao is due to be heard — if the request is accompanied by a court order.
Following the ACB’s response, the ED is believed to have decided to issue a notice to Kishore asking him to appear and record his statement in the case.
It may be mentioned here that the ED officials had received copies of the complaint, FIR, sponsor agreement documents and other related documents from the ACB last week and registered a case against Rama Rao, IAS officer Arvind Kumar and the then HMDA chief engineer BLN Reddy.
Meanwhile, the ED officials have reportedly collected bank details and transaction details from the Himayathnagar branch of the Indian Overseas Bank where the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority operates an account.
The sources said that the ED sleuths are analysing the bank transactions between HMDA and Formula-E Race Operations Limited to identify violations, if any, in the transfer of money to foreign companies.
It is believed that the agency may issue notices to Rama Rao, Arvind Kumar and BLN Reddy once it records the statement of Kishore.