New Delhi
As part of its second supplementary chargesheet in the Aircel-Maxis money-laundering case filed in Special Judge OP Saini’s court, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday accused former Union Minister P Chidambaram of conspiring with foreign investors to give them clearance for their venture.

The Judge has fixed November 26 for consideration of the charges. In a statement, the ED said it had filed the first chargesheet in the case against Chidambaram’s son Karti, which it had updated in the first supplementary chargesheet on June 13, 2018, in which it had claimed that he controlled two firms that allegedly received Rs 1.16 crore bribe.

The accused named by the agency are Chidambaram father-son duo, S Bhaskaraman (Karti’s chartered accountant), V Srinivasan (Aircel former CEO), Augustus Ralph Marshall (associated with Maxis), Astro All Asia Networks Plc Malaysia, Aircel Televentures Ltd, Maxis Mobile Services Sdn Bhd, Bumi Armada Berhad and Bumi Armada Navigation Sdn Bhd.

They are accused of money laundering of Rs 1.16 crore in lieu of illegal FIFB approval by the former minister in March 2006, given to foreign investor Global Communication and Services Holdings Limited, Mauritius, in violation of various rules and regulations governing the FDI policy in India.

The ED said the chargesheet is based on adequate material evidences which are in the form of email communications retrieved from the seized digital devices from Karti and his associates.

The material evidences reveal routing of proceeds of crime in the guise of bonafide business deals by the beneficiaries of illegal FIPB approval in Karti’s companies. The investigation has revealed the financial linkage of Karti Chidambaram and P Chidambaram with these companies, it added.