NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday said that a court order in the so-called Delhi excise policy case shows that the entire case is ‘bogus’.The AAP demanded an apology from the BJP for levelling ‘false’ allegations against the party in connection with the case following a court granting bail to two accused in the matter.
Minister Atishi said the ED has levelled two allegations: that Rs 100 crore kickbacks were received from liquor businessesmen and the money was used in the Goa elections.Atishi said that the allegations are bogus and that the court granted bail to two key accused in the case, Rajesh Joshi and Gautam Malhotra, and reprimanded the ED for making allegations without any corroborative evidence.“The court order said no evidence had been kept forth by the ED showing any cash payment for bribe or kickbacks. The order said the ED attached some vague statements by witnesses,” she added.
Reacting to the development, CM Arvind Kejriwal said, “Now, even the court has said that there is no material evidence of any kickback or money laundering. We have been saying right from beginning that liquor scam is bogus and meant only to malign the AAP.”
The ED had claimed that Joshi, a vendor, ensured that Rs 30 crore reached Goa for elections, but the order noted there was “no independent evidence to corroborate this fact”, the party said.Meanwhile, the Delhi unit of the BJP said that after the liquor scam, Delhi Jal Board scam and ‘Raj Mahal’ bungalow scam, the AAP’s political desperation was increasing and its leaders were trying to divert attention from these ‘scams’.