After FEMA penalty, ED files money-laundering chargesheet against Amnesty India, linked organisation
New Delhi(PTI): A day after the ED issued a FEMA show-cause notice of Rs 61.72 crore against Amnesty India and its former head Aakar Patel, the agency on Saturday said it has filed a money-laundering chargesheet against the organisation and a few other entities.
A prosecution complaint has been filed before the court of Principal City Civil and Sessions Judge, Bengaluru city against Amnesty International India Private Limited (AIIPL), Indians for Amnesty International Trust (IAIT) and others.
The court has taken congnisance of the chargesheet filed under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and issued summonses to the accused, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said in a statement.
The money-laundering case was filed by the ED after taking cognisance of a CBI FIR against the accused, whom the latter agency had booked for alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010 and under section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The ED said during "2011-12, Amnesty International India Foundation Trust (AIIFT) had been granted permission under the FCRA, 2010 for receiving foreign contribution from Amnesty International, UK".
"The permission/registration has been subsequently revoked to this entity on the basis of adverse inputs received," it added.
Subsequently, two new entities -- AIIPL and IAIT -- were formed in 2013-14 and 2012-13 respectively to escape the FCRA route and these entities received foreign exchange "in the guise of" service export and FDI, the federal agency said.
It said as the FCRA licence of AIIFT was "revoked" by the Centre, a "new method" was adopted by Amnesty entities to receive money from abroad as Amnesty International, UK sent Rs 51.72 crore to AIIPL in the guise of export of services and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
There was no documentary proof for export proceeds or advances received for export of services to Amnesty International, UK such as invoices and copies of the agreement between AIIPL and Amnesty International, UK and the same has not been furnished by AIIPL to the authorised dealer (AD) banks, the ED alleged.
"Amnesty International India Pvt Ltd and others have committed scheduled offence by claiming to be carrying out 'civil Society work', however receiving forex in a profit-making company, thereby mis-utilising the FDI, proved by absence of any details/documents relating to exports made and layering of remittances received by AIIPL, a company into IAIT, a charitable trust.
"In this case, both the entities have acquired proceeds of crime and layered the same in the form of various movable properties," the agency said.
The show-cause notice issued on Friday under the civil law of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) penalised AIIPL for Rs 51.72 crore and Patel for Rs 10 crore.
Patel had said they will challenge the ED action undertaken under FEMA in court.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
