ED ATTACHES OVER ₹17CR AMNESTY INDIA ASSETS IN LAUNDERING CASE

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached ₹17.66 crore bank deposits of Amnesty International in connection with its money laundering probe against the human rights organisation, which shut its India operations in September last year alleging harassment by the government.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the ED said the provisional order has been issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for attaching bank accounts of Amnesty International India Pvt Ltd (AIIPL) and Indians for Amnesty International Trust (IAIT). Till date, the ED has attached properties worth ₹19.54 crore belonging to Amnesty. ED had launched a probe against Amnesty in October 2018 on the basis of a case registered by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). According to the ED, Amnesty International India Foundation Trust (AIIFT) had been granted permission under FCRA, 2010 in 2011-12 for receiving foreign contribution from Amnesty International UK. However, the same was cancelled on the basis of the adverse inputs received.

“Since permission was denied 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 ,” it said. The firm doesn’t have a spokesperson or office bearer in India anymore to offer comments on the development.