WHERE IS THE MONEY: MICKKY
Says charges are to frame him
HERALD REPORTERS
PANJIM/MARGAO SEPT 5
After being named in the major international money laundering racket, former Tourism Minister Mickey Pacheco today said that he is clean and is ready to face any inquiry.
The Indian Express has carried a report in which Pacheco is named by US Bureau of Diplomatic Security as being involved in the massive immigration and money laundering racket.
“I am ready to face any inquiry and my bank accounts are transparent, open for any kind of investigation,” Pacheco said.
According to the published news report, the bureau had got in touch with Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) with the relevant documents and case is being referred to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Interacting with the media after felicitating retired teachers at Majorda on Sunday in the presence of ZP members, Nelly Rodrigues and Wilfred D’Sa, Pacheco asserted that he is not involved in any immigration racket as alleged. “I have nothing to hide as my financial records are clean and the same shall be made available to the investigating authorities when need be”, he said, while welcoming any investigations, saying it will give him an opportunity to clear false rumours being circulated by his political rivals
The report submitted to MEA had said that Pacheco had $15 million in his account in the United States and had recently transferred $2 million to India.
“I challenge to prove that I have such huge money in my bank accounts,” he said.
“My overseas employment agency was closed down four years back, when I got separated from my wife Sara,” the former minister added.
“The allegations are false, baseless and made with false intent, by those afraid of growing support and sympathy after I was falsely implicated in a case of abetment to suicide”, he said.
Pacheco, who is out on bail after he was booked by the Crime Branch in connection with death of his close friend Nadia Torrado, in June confirmed that all the recruitments were done when he ran the agency along with his separated wife.
“The business was valid and with proper documents,” he added.
Pacheco however said that he is not aware whether Sara still continues with the licence.
He said that Sara herself had established the agency – Overseas Manpower Private Limited, in 1996 and was running it.
“She was also part of the recruitment agency and I don’t know whether she continued recruiting people or not,” he stated.
Explaining about his business, Pacheco said that all the recruitments were done on ships on seaman visa and the boys, who are working abroad at times, deposit their money in his account which he withdraws and gives back to their families back in Goa.
