NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) isset to take possession of movable and immovable propertiesworth Rs 1.12 crore allegedly belonging to an Italian nationalinvolved in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopperdeal case soon.
The properties, attached by the ED in March this year, arein the name of a media firm but belong to a foreign nationalbeing probed in the case. According to an order issued by theanti-money laundering agency, it includes a flat in the poshSafdarjung Enclave area of south Delhi, a luxury car and afixed deposit of Rs 54 lakh.
ED sources said the worth of the properties was based ontheir book value and that the market value of the flat alonewould now be around Rs 8-9 crore.
The order was confirmed by the Adjudicating Authority, aquasi-judicial body set up under the Prevention of MoneyLaundering Act (PMLA) to decide serious cases filed by theagency.
"The agency will soon take over these assets and clampprohibitory orders after its attachment order was confirmed bythe Adjudicating Authority recently," sources said.
ED had registered a criminal case under the provisions ofPMLA last year to probe alleged financial violations in thedeal for the 12 VVIP choppers.
The agency had earlier tracked purported payments, runninginto lakhs of rupees, made by middleman to some of theofficials as "personal unexplained payments", which includedreimbursements made in connection with foreign travels.
The flat was bought by a Delhi-based travel businessmanbut the purchase was allegedly funded by the Europeanbusinessman, ED sources had said.
The agency had arrested businessman-lawyer Gautam Khaitanin this case last year and he is currently out on bail afterED filed its first charge sheet in the case.
Some more assets of other accussed in the case are alsolikely to be similarly attached.