ED attaches assets worth US 50.90 $ million of AgustaWestland middleman Rajiv Saxena

New Delhi:Central financial probe agency ED on Friday said that it has issued provisional attachment order under Prevention of Money laundering Act (PMLA) to seize assets worth US$ 50.90 million of middleman Rajiv Saxena in Agusta Westland Chopper Scam and Moser Baer Bank Fraud case.

In an official statement issued, the probe agency said that the attached assets, which is equivalent to  Rs 385.44 crore include a villa in Palm Jumeirah, Dubai worth 20 million Arab Emirates Deerham (AED) and balances in five Swiss bank accounts amounting to US$ 45.55 million belonging to Saxena.  

"The middleman Rajiv  Saxena was deported to India from the UAE on January 31 last year for his involvement in the Agusta Westland Chopper Scam case and was arrested under PMLA", the ED said.

 The Central financial probe agency investigation under PMLA revealed that accused Rajiv Saxena was  Hawala operator and accommodation entry provider, who runs the accommodation entry business in Dubai through numerous companies known as Matrix Group companies and has laundered proceeds of crime in the cases of Agusta Westland Chopper scam and Moser Baer bank fraud case, the ED  further said.

During the investigation, it was also emerged that  accused Saxena had created structures for laundering proceeds of crime in both the cases either for the kickbacks in Agusta Westland or defrauding banks by misutilising the loans given to Moser Baer India Ltd and its subsidiaries, the investigation agency added.

The ED statement also alleged that Saxena managed the proceeds of crime and tainted funds of many high profile and high net worth individuals.

The ED  also revealed that  in the case of Agusta Westland Scam, Letter of Request (LR) to Swiss Confederation was sent to restrain his bank accounts and ensure that "he did not shift or transfer or dispose-off the suspected proceeds of crime", by continuing the criminal seizure of the assets in his bank accounts maintained there.

"Rajiv Saxena has already  admitted to laundering the proceeds of crime not only of Agusta Westland deal but also various other defence deals and the 'the proceeds of crime' have also been transferred to the personal accounts of Saxena and his wife Shivani Saxena  who is also  an accused in Agusta Westland case," the agency said in statement(UNI)