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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Air Asia top management including its CEO Tony Fernandes on January 20. The summons have been issued to airline's top brass both present and former management officials under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as part of an ongoing probe.
Air Asia's CEO Fernandes has been summoned in an ongoing probe after the airline came under the ED and CBI's scanner almost a year ago over financial irregularities and for lobbying to get a licence for operations in India.
Money laundering case against Air Asia
The Enforcement Directorate in May 2018 registered a criminal case of money-laundering against AirAsia officials and others for allegedly trying to manipulate government policies through corrupt means to get international licence for its Indian venture AirAsia India Limited.
The central probe agency, they said, has pressed sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to probe if alleged tainted funds were used to create illegal assets and it has taken cognisance of the CBI FIR to lodge its own case.
They added that the accused in its FIR, known as the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), are same as those in the complaint of the CBI.
The agency, they said, will go into the money trail of the accused and the entire deal and a joint probe by the two agencies is expected to henceforth go forward in the case.
The agency's office in Mumbai has been probing a separate case against the airline and its executives under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
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