2G scam: ED claims evidence of payoffs to Karunanidhi family

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) told the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) yesterday that it was in possession of evidence of separate payoffs of Rs223 crore and Rs550 crore received by the kin of DMK chief M Karunanidhi in the spectrum scam.

In its presentation to the JPC the ED said that the DB Group, which had bagged 2G licences when A Raja was the telecom minister, gave Rs223.5 crore to Chennai-based Kalaignar TV owned by Karunanidhi's wife and daughter. "The illegal payment was probed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)," ED officials said in the presentation.

The ED also presented transaction details of the pay-off in the case and said it had been able to trace the original source of the money. "They were transferred by the offender company through various entities based in and outside India," the agency said. Further the ED produced a list of transactions and front entities involved in the transfer of funds.

In its briefing to the JPC, the ED added it was also probing allegation of another payoff to the Karunanidhi clan: the one involving Malaysia's Maxis Communication which had as its beneficiary, Sun Direct TV Ltd, owned by family members of former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran, the grand nephew of Karunanidhi. Maran is alleged to have  abused his official capacity to help Maxis acquire Aircel. In this case  the ED said a probe was under way against illegal gratification of Rs549.96 crore.

According to the ED it conducted a probe in Malaysia in May this year along with the CBI and was waiting for the country to hand over information in the case.

The ED had earlier faced criticism from the JPC for tardy investigation in  the 2G scam. The JPC has also sought additional details of the scam. The JPC was briefed by ED officials along with finance secretary RS Gujral regarding the progress on the scam.