The Aryavarth Express
Agency(New Delhi): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has informed the Supreme Court that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is the principal beneficiary of the proceeds of crime from the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, with its national convenor, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, directly implicated in the money laundering activities.
According to the ED, investigations have uncovered about Rs 45 crore in cash used by AAP in the 2022 Goa assembly election campaign. This finding is part of an affidavit filed by the ED in response to Kejriwal’s challenge to his arrest related to the same scam. The ED claims that this substantial sum was deployed to pay various campaign workers in Goa, including survey workers and assembly managers, in violation of legal funding practices.
The affidavit elaborates on the legal framework implicating the AAP and Kejriwal, citing the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). Specifically, it invokes Section 70 of the PMLA, which addresses offences by companies, to classify AAP as a ‘company’ due to its structured association of individuals, thereby subjecting it to corporate liabilities under the Act.
Kejriwal, identified as the controlling figure of AAP and the architect of its major decisions, including the excise policy, is accused of being directly involved in the demands for kickbacks that generated these illicit funds. The ED argues that Kejriwal’s management role in AAP makes him both directly and vicariously liable for the offenses under PMLA’s stringent clauses against money laundering.
This legal challenge comes amid AAP’s claims that the ED’s actions are politically motivated, accusing the agency of fabricating charges. The Supreme Court is expected to hear Kejriwal’s plea against his arrest next week, following a lower court’s affirmation of the legality of his detention, which noted Kejriwal’s repeated non-compliance with ED summonses as a factor in its decision.
The ongoing case has heightened the scrutiny of AAP’s financial practices and governance ethics, potentially impacting its political image and operations significantly.