Statements of witnesses indicate Nawab Malik’s involvement in money laundering: special court

Mumbai: Statements of witnesses prima facie show the involvement of Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik in money laundering, the special PMLA court has said. Special judge R N Rokade made this observation in his order, which became available on Tuesday, remanding Malik to 14-day judicial custody in a money-laundering probe linked to the activities of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his aides being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Senior NCP leader Malik (62) was arrested by the ED on February 23. He was sent to judicial custody on Monday as no further remand was sought by the probe agency. Though the ED didn’t press for Malik’s further remand it told the court that the accused was not cooperating in the investigation.

“During the progress in the investigation, statements of the witnesses were brought to the notice of the court. On the basis of material placed before the court, the accused was remanded to ED custody up to March 7.

“It is to be noted here that prima facie, there are statements of witnesses which show the involvement of the accused in money laundering,” the court added.

The court noted that the proceeds of crime are yet to be identified by the competent authority under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 and the investigation is at the initial stage.

“It is pertinent to note that the accused has challenged earlier remand orders as well as the arrest of the accused before the Bombay High court. Having regard to the grounds mentioned in the remand report, the accused is required to be remanded to judicial custody for 14 days,” the court said.

The ED had said in the remand plea that ”this is a sensitive case involving proceeds of crime apparently generated from the organised crime sector and its subsequent laundering, which is currently under initial stages of the investigation. The case also appears to have international ramifications as well”.

The Central agency had also said that its officials were examining transactions to establish the money trail and trace the ultimate beneficiaries of proceeds of crime so generated.

The accused person (Malik) has not cooperated with the investigation and did not reveal the facts during the recording of his statement, the ED stated.

From the investigation conducted so far and facts brought on record, it is found that the accused person has played and continues to play a crucial role in laundering, it alleged.

The ED case against Malik is based on an FIR filed recently by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against Ibrahim, a fugitive gangster, and others. The NIA had filed its criminal complaint under sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The ED had on Monday urged the Bombay High Court to dismiss the habeas corpus (law writ issued to bring a party before a court or judge) petition filed by Malik challenging his arrest by the anti-money laundering agency, saying his arrest was as per law.