Hyderabad, September 19 (IANS) In connection with the Andhra Pradesh liquor scam, discoveries conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at various places in the country, so that the evidence of the incidence of crime and the leading material for the movement was recovered and confiscated.
The discoveries also seized fake challans and transport challans with non-transport vehicle details; Parallel invoice differences and proof of inflated value; The agency’s statement stated that the participation of some accused individuals, who are absconding and in Dubai, and transfer of Crime of Crime (POC) for them, have been stated in the agency’s statement.
Unannounced cash of one to 38 lakh rupees was seized from the campus. It was also said to be seized by the POC’s remittance of POC worth several crores, it was also said.
The ED’s Hyderabad zonal office on Thursday discovered at 20 places in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Tanjavur, Surat, Raipur, Delhi NCR, and Andhra Pradesh, which under the provisions of prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in relation to liquor scam.
Institutions/individuals were discovered in the premises, who facilitated the payment of kickback through fake/inflated transactions.
The agency launched an investigation based on an FIR registered by AP CID under various sections of the IPC, which to damage the tune of Rs 4,000 crore to the government treasury. On 5 February, the Andhra Pradesh government formed a special investigation team (SIT) to investigate the case.
The FIR alleged that in the ‘New Liquor Policy’ from October 2019 to March 2024, the accused individuals indulged in ‘brand killing and new brand promotion’, which included siding popular liquor brands (such as McDowell, Royal Stag, Imperial Blue, etc.), which refused to pay the kickback. The procurement system was transferred from automatic to manual, which was the scope of manipulation in the order for supply (OFS).
The SIT has filed a charge sheet and supplementary charge sheet, Inter Aaliya, which has been accused of replacement of automated systems with manual approval, allowing brand-wise indenting and supplies to manipulation of supplied volumes; The side of a select group of distillery and marketing firms; To pay 15–20 percent of their challan value as kickback to suppliers, when failed, their brands were suppressed or delisted; Creating shell distillery for channel funds and safely inflated volumes; Appointing prominent officers who facilitated brand approval, manipulated eligibility criteria, and suppressed unsatisfactory suppliers.
Charge sheets also allege that procurement manipulation, fake seller payments, kickbacks were generated through shell companies and used for election objectives, personal gains and transfer of funds abroad.
The ED investigation revealed that some accused persons discouraged the location of orders for deliberately established brands; Stopped valid payment for distillery; And increased pressure on distillery and demanded illegal payment/kickback in exchange for OFS.
The Money Trail investigation by the ED revealed that the share of the payment made by Andhra Pradesh State Beverages Corporation Limited (APSBCL) was transferred to various institutions on the pretext of supply of goods or services to suppliers. However, these transactions were found to be fake and recipients of these funds were either non-existence, shell entities or unrelated persons/institutions.
In many cases, where the institutions belonged to the line of their business, the transaction was inflated. Funds were also transferred to jewelers by suppliers to acquire gold/cash, which was handed over to the accused individuals as a kickback. Thus, bogus/inflated transactions were used to shut down money under the guise of business transactions, which facilitates the accused individuals as kickback and facilitates the generation of illegal money and agitation.
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MS/VD