Money laundering case: 6-hour long ED grilling of Vadra ends; counsel claims 'political vendetta'

Vadra was grilled in an exhaustive interrogation session, about the transactions, purchase and possession of certain immovable assets in London; He may be called again tomorrow at 10:30 am for further questioning.

Vadra steps out of ED office after almost six hours of interrogation

NEW DELHI: Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s brother-in-law Robert Vadra denied most of the charges against him in an exhausting inquiry conducted by the Enforcement Directorate today that stretched to almost six hours. Vadra appeared for the interrogation days after he was directed by a city court to appear before the central probe agency. As the intense quizzing came to an end, Vadra's counsel Suman Jyoti Khaitan claimed that the government was harassing him (Vadra) for political reasons. "Vadra did not violate any notice of the ED. He has given an undertaking that he will appear (before ED) when summoned", Khaitan said. Vadra's statement was recorded by ED office in connection with a money laundering case relating to alleged possession of illegal foreign assets. The Enforcement Directorate team led by Joint Director accompanied by Deputy Director and 5 other officers questioned Robert Vadra, in connection with the case. Vadra may be summoned by the agency again at 10:30 am on Thursday, after today's round of questioning, sources informed.  It was for the first time that Vadra, son-in-law of Sonia Gandhi, appeared before any probe agency in connection with alleged criminal charges of dubious financial dealings. As per sources Robert has denied most of the allegations against him, in the inquiry. He denied having possession of illegal properties in London and having any business ties with arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari and his cousin Sumit Chaddha. Sources revealed that Vadra who was probably tired because of jetlag could not respond promptly to all the questions put up by the ED. Robert arrived at the Enforcement Directorate at around 4 pm to face the ED inquiry after he was summoned by the agency, in connection with the alleged possession of illegal foreign assets. Priyanka's response: Vadra's wife Priyanka Gandhi who has recently been inducted by Congress party as the general secretary accompanied Vadra till the Directorate office, and left for Congress headquarters after dropping him.  "I stand by my husband", said Priyanka when she was later asked about ED summoning her husband and she dropping him at the agency."World knows what is the politics (around it)", she said. Vadra was accompanied inside the ED office by his team of four lawyers, where the officers questioned him. Vadra was grilled intensely for three hours by the agency which posed 36 questions in front of him, relating to his property in London. Earlier, Vadra was directed by a Delhi court to cooperate with the investigation being carried out by the central probe agency after he knocked on its door seeking anticipatory bail in this case. The court last week granted interim bail to him till February 16 and asked him to join probe by appearing in person on February 6 in this case. PTI sources said Vadra, once he appears, will be grilled about the transactions, purchase and possession of certain immovable assets in London and his statement will be recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Earlier, in his anticipatory bail plea, Vadra had said he was being subjected to "unwarranted, unjustified and malicious criminal prosecution which on the face of it is completely politically motivated and is being carried out for reasons other than those prescribed under law". BJP attacks Congres over ED summons to Vadra:  The Bharatiya Janata Party on trained its guns at the Congress over the ED summons to Vadra to appear before it in connection with a money laundering case. Party spokesperson Sambit Patra alleged that Vadra benefited from petroleum and a defence deal which took place in 2008-09 when the UPA was in power. In a press conference, Patra claimed that Vadra, brother-in-law of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, utilised the money to buy posh properties worth several crore rupees in London. Quoting an e-mail trail, he alleged that Vadra's company received "kickbacks" from a series of companies floated to "turn black money into white". "The 2019 Lok Sabha election is a fight between the gang of corrupt versus transparency of Narendra Modi government," he said. What is UK assets case? The case relates to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property located at 12, Bryanston Square worth 1.9 million pounds, which is allegedly owned by Vadra, brother-in-law of Congress president Rahul Gandhi. The agency had told the court that it has received information about various new properties in London which belongs to Vadra including two houses of five and four million each, six other flats and more properties.