BENGALURU: The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Bengaluru zonal unit, is examining allegations of Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) violation against senior Congress leader and Sarvajnanagar MLA KJ George.
This follows a complaint by Karnataka Rashtra Samithi (KRS) president Ravi Krishna Reddy. “The ED will register a case against George under FEMA only if there is evidence against him,” said sources who are privy to the development. On his part, George has rubbished Reddy’s charges against him as “baseless.”
Speaking to TNIE, the Congress MLA said that all his assets were legal and declared before the Lokayukta, Income Tax Department and the Election Commission. “If any of these agencies seek any clarification from me, I will submit my reply. Since Reddy has filed the complaint with the ED, he should allow the agency to verify the charges. Why is he going to media for publicity? The ED has not issued any notice to me so far. I have nothing to hide,” George asserted.
Meanwhile, Reddy told TNIE that in September this year, they had submitted a detailed complaint to the ED against George with several annexures of his alleged properties outside India as proof. On November 11, Reddy wrote another letter to the ED to take prompt action against the Congress MLA under FEMA.
“George has held key portfolios in the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government and the previous Congress-JDS coalition government. He has amassed huge properties in India and abroad, particularly in New York,” he alleged.
He said that in his complaint to the ED, he has given a detailed description of properties held by George and his family. "Most of the properties are in the name of George’s daughter Renita Abraham and son-in-law Kevin Abraham," Reddy claimed.George countered this stating that his daughter is an American citizen. “The Government of India can seek information from the US government about their assets,” he said.