New Delhi: Trouble seems to be piling up against former finance minister P Chidambaram's son Karti Chidambaram, the Enforcement Directorate has sought information from 14 countries on properties and banking transactions of companies which are allegedly linked with him, according to Times of India.
ED has reportedly approached “UK, UAE, South Africa, US, Greece, Spain, Switzerland, France, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Sri Lanka and British Virgin Islands” to enquire about the alleged firms that Karti has links with.
The transactions include that of Advantage Strategic, Sequoia, WestBridge and other firms.
ED is also planning to “question him shortly for his financial transactions”, the TOI further said.
Earlier, former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram had refuted allegation that his son has amassed huge wealth saying alleged Karti is being targeted only because he is his son.
According to a report by The Pioneer dated Feb 29, Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram's son Karti has built a huge empire for himself in different parts of the world by making investment in real estates and engaging in other business activities in London, Dubai, South Africa, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, British Virgin Island, France, USA, Switzerland, Greece and Spain.
The latest revelations have come from the documents recovered during the recent joint raids of the Enforcement Directorate and Investigation Wing of Income Tax in the Aircel-Maxis scam.
The raids were carried out at the offices of Karti situated in Chennai, Tamil Nadu last year in December.
It was found that he did transactions through Advantage's Singapore-based subsidiary Advantage Strategic Consulting Singapore Pvt Ltd.
The probe details coming out of the recent raids expose massive wealth acquired by Karti during 2006 to 2014 when his father was Finance Minister and Home Minister at the Centre.
The probe found that Advantage Strategic Consulting Singapore Pte Ltd. had acquired 88 acres at Surridge Farm in Somerset in the UK for one million Pounds in September 2011. It has investments in Artevea Digital Limited in Cambridge and has transactions with another London-based company Oppenheimer Investments (UK) Limited.
The report further says, Karti's Singapore Company had bought the majority shares of Lanka Fortune Residencies, a big resort in Sri Lanka that owns resorts such as 'The Waterfront', 'Weligama Bay Resort' and Emerald Bay Hotel.
The company had bought three farms and vineyards in South Africa, identified as Rowey Farm in Grabouw, Cape Orchards and Vineyards Private Limited, and Zandvliet Enterprises, a wine and stud farm in Ashton. The money to purchase these farms was routed via Dubai, the report says.
