Swamy urges CBI and ED Chiefs to speed up the probe on the FIPB violations in Air Asia approved by Chidambaram

Stepping up his attack, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy urged the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) Directors to immediately register a case on the illegal Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance given to flight operator Air Asia by the former tainted Finance Minister P Chidambaram. In the letters to CBI Chief Alok Verma and ED Chief Karnal Singh, Swamy said that the FIPB approval given to Malaysian firm Air Asia was totally illegal and the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) should be allowed only for investing in a working Indian Airline Company. Violating this basic rule, in 2013, UPA Government allowed Air Asia to directly operate in India with an alliance partnership with a company linked to Tata Group, which was not at all a flight operator.

In his letter to the ED Chief Swamy urged for speedy action on the ongoing probe in the Rs. 22 crores money laundering in the Tata Sons and Air Asia.

Later Cyrus Mistry, the major shareholder in Tata Sons exposed the Ratan Tata’s dubious deals with Air Asia and their forensic audit found that Rs.22 crores were given to terror financier[1]. The ED has already registered a case under Prevention of Money laundering Act (PMLA).

“You may recall that i had sent you a written complaint for your consideration for investigation against Air Asia for criminal breach of trust and misappropriation which is prosecutable under Prevention of Corruption Act (in view of the fact that an FIPB approval was given by the then Finance Minister Mr. P Chidambaram).  Based on the documents provided to me by the Ministry under the RTI Act, it is quite clear that since according to Ministry of Civil Aviation’s answer to my Question on Parliament on July 19, 2015, the FIPB approval in 2013 by Mr. P. Chidambaram ought not to have been given because Air Asia was not investing in an existing Indian Airline in the country that required infusion of funds. Instead, Air Asia received investment from Tata Sons in an illegally constituted  Air Asia India Ltd., as a joint venture,” wrote Swamy to the CBI Director.

Swamy’s PIL in this regard is now pending at Delhi High Court and a final hearing is posted for July 1.

In his letter to the ED Chief Swamy urged for speedy action on the ongoing probe in the Rs. 22 crores money laundering in the Tata Sons and Air Asia. The Forensic Audit conducted by Cyrus Mistry found that Rs. 22 crores were flown to an entity linked with a Dubai resident Hamid Reza Malakotipour, whom the US Government has classified as “A Specially Designated Global Terrorist” for suspected terrorist activities. This person was under the radar of the US agencies for supplying equipment to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) – Quds Force, an Iran based special operation force designated as a supporter of terrorism since 2007.

References:

[1] Money flown to terrorist from Tata/ Air Asia deal: Swamy urges CBI to probe – Dec 2, 2016, PGurus.com

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