Reliance ADAG Group Chairman Anil D. Ambani has skipped the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summon to appear before it at the Delhi headquarters for the second round of questioning on Friday, offering to appear by virtual means only.
In a statement on behalf of Anil Ambani, the company said he will fully cooperate with ED on all matters and is willing to appear by virtual means.
According to ED sources, they have not received any such communication from Anil Ambani or his company so far.
The statement on behalf of Anil Ambani said that "ED summons to Anil D. Ambani relate to a FEMA inquiry and not to any matter under the PMLA".
"Anil D. Ambani is not a member of the Board of Reliance Infrastructure. He served the company for about fifteen years, from April 2007 to March 2022, only as a non-executive director, and was never involved in day-to-day management of the company," the statement added.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had summoned Anil Ambani again on November 14 for questioning in the money laundering case against the conglomerate. He faced a gruelling around nine-hour interrogation regarding an alleged Rs 17,000-crore loan fraud case at ED headquarters in August.
The development comes close on the heels of ED provisionally attaching over 132 acres of land worth Rs 4,462.81 crores in Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City at Navi Mumbai on Monday, under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
ED had earlier attached 42 properties worth over Rs 3,083 crores in the bank fraud cases of Reliance Communications Ltd. (RCOM), Reliance Commercial Finance Ltd., and Reliance Home Finance Ltd.
"The total attachment in these cases stands at over Rs7,545 crores. ED is actively pursuing perpetrators of financial crime and is committed to restituting the proceeds of crime to their rightful claimants," the statement said.
ED had initiated investigation based on CBI's FIR under sections 120-B, 406 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and section 13(2) read with section 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1989 against RCOM,. Anil Ambani, and others.
(With inputs from IANS)
