ED questions Chidambaram again in Aircel-Maxis money laundering case

Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday in the Aircel-Maxis money laundering case for the fourth time, news agency PTI reported quoting officials. 

The senior Congress leader arrived at the agency's office here early in the day, they said, adding that his statement will be recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the report added. 

According to reports, some specific queries on the circumstances and procedures adopted by the now-defunct Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) are being put to the former Union minister during these sessions.

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This is the fourth time the Chidambaram is being questioned in the probe. He was last grilled for about six hours on August 24.

Chidambaram's son Karti has been questioned twice by the ED in connection with the same case. 

While the CBI has filed a charge sheet in this case involving the politician in July, the ED is expected to file its own prosecution complaint within the next fortnight.     

After similar questioning by the ED in this case in June, Chidambaram had said what he told the agency was already recorded in government documents. He also said a probe was initiated even though there is no FIR.

"More than half the time taken up by typing the answers without errors, reading the statement and signing it!," he had said in his tweet.

The Aircel-Maxis cases pertains to grant of Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance to the firm M/S Global Communication Holding Services Ltd in 2006 for investment in Aircel.