ED summons former minister Praful Patel in UPA-era aviation scam
New Delhi: The ED has summoned senior NCP leader and former aviation minister Praful Patel next week as part of its money laundering probe related to alleged losses suffered by national carrier Air India in a multi-crore aviation scam during the UPA-era, officials said Saturday.
They said Patel, a member of the Rajya Sabha, has been asked to appear before the investigating officer of the case on June 6 here.
This is the first major action against a political leader in the alleged multi-crore aviation scam that is stated to have taken place during the UPA government led by Manmohan Singh.
Officials sources said Patel needs to be put through certain revelations made by arrested aviation lobbyist Deepak Talwar and certain evidence unearthed by the agency in pursuit of this case filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Meanwhile, the NCP leader said in Mumbai that he will be happy to cooperate with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) so that the agency understands the "complexities" of the aviation industry.
"I will be happy to cooperate with ED for their understanding of the complexities of the aviation industry," he told PTI over phone.
The agency had recently filed a charge sheet in the case naming Deepak Talwar. It has said that Talwar was in regular touch with Patel.
The ED claimed in the charge sheet that Talwar, who has been arrested, allegedly finalised various communications addressed to Patel on behalf of Emirates and Air Arabia.
"There is evidence including e-mail conversations between Deepak and Patel," the probe agency told the court.
According to the charge sheet, the investigation revealed that Talwar obtained undue favours for the private airlines using his contacts.
ED had told the court earlier that it was trying to find out the names of officials of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, National Aviation Company of India Ltd (NACIL) and Air India, who favoured foreign airlines, including Qatar Airways, Emirates and Air Arabia, by making the national carrier gave up profit-making routes and timings.
"It has been alleged that officials of Ministry of Civil Aviation, NACIL and Air India, by abusing their official position as public servants and receiving illegal gratification, in conspiracy with other public servants, private domestic and foreign airlines, made the national carrier gave up profit making routes and profit making timings of Air India in favour of national and international domestic and foreign private airlines.
"This resulted in a huge loss of market share to the national carrier and also led to pecuniary benefits to private domestic and foreign airlines," ED's advocate A R Aditya had told the court.
India held bilateral meetings with Dubai, Sharjah and Qatar after which there has been an increase in the seat entitlements for both the contracting countries and increase in points of call for foreign carriers, it said.
Deepak Talwar has been charged with criminal conspiracy, forgery and under various other sections of the FCRA for allegedly diverting Rs 90.72 crore worth of foreign funds meant for ambulances and other articles received by his NGO from Europe's leading missile manufacturing company.
His role in some aviation deals during the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance's (UPA) regime at the Centre is under scanner as well.
Talwar was booked by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in criminal cases of corruption, while the Income Tax Department charged him with tax evasion.
He was arrested by the ED early this year after he was deported from Dubai.
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Messi scores, but Inter Miami only gets 2-2 tie with Austin FC in opener of new stadium
Miami (AP): Lionel Messi scored on the long-awaited opening night in his new home stadium. And Luis Suarez found a way to tie things up late in the second half.
It was good enough to salvage a point for Inter Miami.
Messi scored on a header in the 10th minute, Suarez hammered home a volley in the 82nd minute and Inter Miami escaped with a 2-2 tie against Austin FC in the defending MLS champions' first match at their still-under-construction stadium near Miami International Airport on Saturday night.
Inter Miami (3-1-2) is now unbeaten in its last five MLS matches, and Austin (1-2-3) is now winless in its last four contests.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber was at the match, lauding the work that David Beckham — who picked Miami 13 years ago — did to get to this day. Inter Miami is in its seventh MLS season, its third with Messi, but has played home matches in Fort Lauderdale until now.
Garber touted the stadium opening as the latest sign of growth for MLS.
“I think our best days are still ahead," Garber said. "David shined a light on our league, and Leo's taking that torch, and he's showing it around. And we're getting calls from players around the world.”
The Herons never led; Austin took a 1-0 lead on Guilherme Biro's goal — the first ever at Nu Stadium — in the sixth minute, and the visitors went up 2-1 when speedy reserve Jayden Nelson scored in the 53rd minute.
Messi and Suarez both got tying goals, and Inter Miami missed some chances for a potential winner in the final minutes. Maybe the best of the lot: Mateo Silvetti's chance in the 87th minute, when he accepted a cross from the right wing and tried to one-time the ball but sent it sailing high.
“We already know what Leo is capable of and the trouble he causes for the opposition, and even without the ball as well,” Inter Miami defender Maxi Falcon told Apple TV after the match. “And Luis, too — whenever he's inside the box, he's lethal, and he proved that once again.”
Suarez thought he scored in the 90th minute after a free kick from Messi, but the play was called offside. And Messi had a chance about three minutes later from inside the box, but Brad Stuver got low for a save diving to his left to keep the game knotted at 2-2.
Stuver said it was a great result, especially given the circumstances — against the MLS champs, who were opening their new stadium.
“We got to be the villains,” Stuver said.
Austin led much of the second half, after Nelson came on at intermission and gave his club a spark.
Nelson — who played for Vancouver against Inter Miami in last season's MLS Cup final — got behind the defense, avoided going offside and took a pass from Myrto Uzuni in the middle of the field about 30 yards from the goal.
He sent a low shot that got past charging Inter Miami goalie Dayne St. Clair and kissed off the inside of the left goalpost before settling into the net.
