Ratul Puri threatened choppers scam accused: ED

Ratul Puri, nephew of Mhya Presh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, "threatened" VVIP choppers scam accused Rajiv Saxena t to share evidence against an uncle of his and far, ED has alleged in its latest charge sheet in Rs 3,600-crore defence scandal.

central probe ncy has charged 47-year-old promoter of Hindustan Power Projects Pvt Ltd with "destruction of evidence" and said it h to go to extent of recovering "ashes" of burnt documents during raids at premises of Ratul Puri's close aide Niamat Singh.

Enforcement Directorate (ED), in its prosecution complaint or charge sheet filed before a special court here on vember 2, has charged Ratul Puri of using corporate structures "owned or maintained" by Saxena to launder kickbacks in scam received from three alleged middlemen in case -- Christian Michel James, Carlos Gerosa and Guido Haschke. 

Saxena and James were deported by probe ncies from Dubai this year and in 2018, respectively, and at present, y are in judicial custody.

"Rajiv Saxena is an approver in this case. He has also been threatened and pressurised by Ratul Puri t to give documents/evidences against Ratul's far and uncle, ED said.

Ratul Puri's far Deepak Puri is managing director of optical stor media firm Moser Baer, but identity of "uncle" has t been stated by ED in charge sheet.

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"He (Saxena) was furr asked to be selective in providing details and to slow down process of giving data and details which have been mitted by him in a statement me under Section 50," ncy said. 

A statement me under section 50 of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) is missible in court.

ED recently moved a court here seeking to revoke 'approver' status of Saxena owing to n-cooperation and n disclosure of full information privy to him in AgustaWestland VVIP choppers purchase deal case that was scrapped by India in 2014 on allegations of alleged kickbacks being paid to procure a dozen helicopters for flying top government functionaries like prime minister and president.

over 100-ps charge sheet accessed by PTI also mentions name of Ratul Puri's cousin and Chief Minister Kamal Nath's younger son Bakul Nath, for undertaking various joint trips abro.

Ratul Puri's mor Nita is Kamal Nath's sister.

A trip on a private jet

An email recovered by ED found that Ratul Puri, Bakul Nath, and a few ors me a trip in June 2011 on a "private jet" to a five-star luxury resort called Wynn in Las Vegas. luxurious facility, on its website, boasts of offering "exciting entertainment and lifestyle" along with a casi and spa.

An American Express credit card, "mittedly given" by Saxena to Ratul Puri, was used to make a payment of USD 14,395 (over Rs 10 lakh) at end of this trip.

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Ratul Puri was a "regular client" of this resort in casi town of Vegas and "re are various or emails wherein he has sought transfer of funds available at Wynn Las Vegas in his account to Bakul Nath, his cousin and Vinella Jain, a friend," ED said.

ncy said Ratul Puri created and operated at least three email ids "for giving instructions for laundering proceeds of crime which would t be traced to him."

email ids are: kiasamsung35@yahoo.com; kiasamsung35@yahoo.co.uk and idea4800@gmail.com and y were used for "giving instructions" to Dubai-based hawala operative Saxena and ors for laundering proceeds of crime in this case.

Even though, charge sheet said, Ratul Puri "denies any relationship with email ids, all records and evidences le to him leaving room for doubt that email ids belong to him."

It is "amply clear", after numerous grilling sessions of James and Saxena and emails recovered during probe, that contents of email are "recorded business transactions" in companies of Saxena, ED said.

ncy said transactions were done "on behalf of Ratul Puri", only connecting link, and thus it is stated that he has received and laundered kickbacks from AgustaWestland deal.

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Prosecute Ratul Puri

ED has also sought to prosecute Ratul Puri for "intentional and deliberate lying" during multiple questioning sessions.

" accused Ratul Puri has created a complex web of structures to project proceeds of crime as untainted funds. He has taken great efforts to ensure that he remains hidden behind a corporate veil." 

"Puri was utilising services of individuals like Jaspreet Ahuja, Roberto Pula, Pascal Rey and ors for creating corporate entities and was ept at laundering proceeds of crime and was in kwledge of mechanism of same to ensure that is t caught by law enforcement ncies by creating a face of m being owned by individuals un-related to him," charge sheet said.

Ratul Puri, ED claimed, "used corporate structures owned or maintained by Rajiv Saxena to launder kickbacks received from James."

ncy claimed that evidences and independent data sources corroborated by various individuals state that email ids belong to Ratul Puri and y are "a record of transaction" undertaken by him for feeder entities (companies) like Pangea, Hendon Global Ltd, Technstone Ltd, Melleger Ltd, Prodexco Iberia Ltd, Tre Service ncy Ltd. 

entities are controlled by Puri using Saxena's companies for laundering proceeds of crime received through companies of middlemen James and two ors, ED said.

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