India’s enforcement directorate attaches over Rs 17cr assets with Amnesty Int’l money-laundering case

India's enforcement directorate today said it has attached more than 17 crore rupees bank deposits in connection with its case of alleged money laundering against two entities of Amnesty International (India).

The agency said in a statement that a provisional order has been issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) "attaching bank accounts of Amnesty International India Pvt Ltd (AIIPL) and Indians for Amnesty International Trust (IAIT)".

It said "both the entities have acquired the proceeds of crime and layered the same in the form of various movable properties. The order involves attachment of movable properties worth Rs 17.66 crore being proceeds of crime".

This money laundering case of the ED is based on a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR filed against AIIPL, IAIT, Amnesty International India Foundation Trust (AIIFT) and Amnesty International South Asia Foundation (AISAF) that was filed under Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) and Indian Penal Code (120-B, which denotes criminal conspiracy).

"Amnesty International India Foundation Trust (AIIFT) had been granted permission under the FCRA during 2011-12 for receiving foreign contribution from the Amnesty International UK," it said.

However, the statement said the same was cancelled on the basis of the "adverse inputs received".

"Since permission/registration has been denied to the said entity on the basis of adverse inputs received from security agencies during the year 2011-12, AIIPL and IAIT were formed in the year 2013-14 and 2012-13, respectively to escape the FCRA route and carried out NGO activities in the guise of service export and FDI," the ED alleged.

The ED said a probe found that upon cancellation of the FCRA licence by the Indian government, Amnesty International India Foundation Trust and Amnesty entities adopted a "new method" to receive money from abroad.

The agency said Amnesty International UK sent 51.72 crore rupees to AIIPL "in the guise of export of services and the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)".

"For export proceeds/advances to Amnesty International UK, there was no documentary proof, such as invoices and copies of agreement between AIIPL and Amnesty International UK, has been furnished by AIIPL to the authorised dealer (AD) banks."

"It is prima facie found that Amnesty International India Pvt Ltd and others have obtained foreign remittances to the tune of Rs 51.72 crore in the guise export of services and the FDI from Amnesty International (UK) whose source is the donations from individual donors," the ED alleged.

The agency earlier attached some properties in this case and the total attachment value now stands at Rs 19.54 crore.