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The Black Money Sins of India

THURSDAY, 11 AUGUST 2011 15:41 5 COMMENTS

GoaChronicle.com brings you an exclusive look into the 18 names of politicians, businessmen, bureaucrats and power brokers in India who names feature in the list of 700 names given by the French Government to the Indian government of Swiss Bank account holders we have managed to find out In the first part of the series from our sources in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) we had focused on the politicians and businessmen in Goa in the list of 700 names disclosed by the French Government to the Indian Government. Since we are still in the process of accumulating more data from our highly placed sources in ED, we have managed to procure the list of the 18 names, bank accounts and amount saved in the Swiss Banks of prominent Indians and companies.

Topping the list is Niira Radia of Vaishnavi Communications who had been in the news recently on account of the 2G scam. Naresh Goyal of Jet Airways to feature on the list as well as Capt Krishnan Nair of the Leela Group of Hotels of the tourism and hospitality business. Two stock brokers one the late Harshad Mehta and other is Ketan Parekh. Politicians like Karunanidhi, A Raja, Stalin and HD Kumaraswamy from the South also feature. Lalu Prasad Yadav and Sharad Pawar also feature and Suresh Kalmadi currently under questioning over the Common Wealth Games scam.

With the details provided by the French Government and now with Wikileaks.com also releasing the names of the Indians possessing black money in foreign banks, so far they have released 40 names. Some of which feature in the names provided to us by ED; it will be interesting to see what action the government of India at the Centre will take owing to these new startling and shocking revelations. Officials in the Finance Ministry admit in private that details of the majority of the accounts had already been received through diplomatic channels while other account details were awaited. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is said to be aware of the developments and the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has been asked to scrutinize each account to probe possible tax evasion. The Finance Ministry is learnt to have consulted Attorney General Goolam Vahanvati on the implications of the transfer of sensitive bank data and he is said to have pointed to provisions in Indian tax laws by which tax violations and criminality, wherever applicable, could be made out by using data received through such channels. GoaChronicle.com is in the process of procuring as much details as we can on the entire black money scandal of India. Our information on the politicians and businessmen in Goa has been just a tip of the ice-berg we will release more details of the names, banks accounts and amount of the 23 politicians and 4 mining companies owners shortly. In the list of 700 names released by the French Government to the Indian Government last month, Enforcement Directorate have revealed exclusively to GoaChronicle.com that Rs 49,000 crore belongs to politicians and businessmen from Goa is the amount in different Swiss Banks. These bank accounts are owned by 23 politicians and also include owners of four mining companies from Goa. Two former Chief Ministers of Goa feature in the list. One minister is said to have two accounts in the USB, Geneva where in Rs 4700 crore is saved in his accounts. The other ex-Chief Minister has also got two accounts but in the Rothschild Bank, Geneva where in Rs 3890 crore is saved. Of the 23 politicians, there are 13 former ministers hold more than two banks across three prominent banks in Switzerland namely USB, Rothschild Bank and Bank Frey & Co AG. Some of the former ministers have also got a minimum of one account in the Alternative Bank ABS and Aareal Bank AG. In the current government, 6 cabinet rank ministers have more than two bank accounts each in USB Geneva and Rothschild Bank. Enforcement Directorate sources reveal that the amount stashed is close to shocking figures of Rs 22,000 crore. Most ministers have two main bank accounts and also 3 sub-accounts in their names.

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