After FEMA penalty, ED chargesheets Amnesty

New Delhi, July 9

A day after issuing a notice under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) imposing a penalty of Rs 61.72 crore against Amnesty India and its former head Aakar Patel, the Enforcement Directorate today said it had filed a chargesheet under the Prevention of Money laundering Act (PMLA) against the NGO and a few other entities.

The ED, in a statement, said a prosecution complaint had been filed before the court of Principal City Civil and Sessions Judge, Bengaluru, against Amnesty International India Private Limited (AIIPL), Indians for Amnesty International Trust (IAIT) and others.

The court has taken congnisance of the chargesheet filed under criminal sections of the PMLA and has issued summonses to the accused, it added. The PMLA case was filed by the ED after taking cognisance of a CBI FIR against the accused persons and entities, whom it had booked for alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010, and under Section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC.

The ED said during “2011-12, Amnesty International India Foundation Trust had been granted permission under the FCRA, 2010, for receiving foreign contribution from Amnesty International, UK…. the permission/registration was subsequently revoked to this entity on the basis of adverse inputs received.” — TNS

Norms ‘flouted’

• From 2012 to 2014, Amnesty India formed new entities to receive foreign funds
• ED alleges these entities received foreign exchange “in guise of” service export and FDI
• Aim was to allegedly escape FCRA route after govt revised norms for foreign funding