PANJIM: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued summons to 16 companies involved in iron ore exports, as well as former Mines and Geology director Arvind Lolienkar in connection with the illegal mining. ED had, in June, filed the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) under Prevention of Money Laundering (PML) Act, 2002 in the scam.
Summons have been issued to companies including Chowgule and Co Pvt Ltd and MMTC as well as those under the scanner like Frost International Ltd and Bagadiya Brothers.
“We are going step by step. Further summons against more mining companies and exporters would be issued in due course of time,” a senior ED official said, adding that the companies has been given a fortnight to appear before ED. The probe based on summons will begin in November.
Lolienkar has been asked to appear before ED in the first week of November. ED has already recorded the statement of present director of mines Prasanna Acharya, who is a complainant in different illegal mining cases filed before special investigating team (SIT).
Officials said that ED has asked the companies to furnish details of the business operations and their financial transactions over the last few years as it looks to take the probe further.
The ECIR has been registered against government officials, mining companies and entities identified and mentioned in the report of Central Empowered Committee (CEC) appointed by the Supreme Court, Justice M B Shah Commission report and report of Goa Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
The Shah Commission has estimated that the said scam was worth Rs 35,000 crore. The Commission had submitted its report in 2012, two years after it was constituted in 2010.
