NEW DELHI: A case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) is likely to be registered against the former chief minister of Manipur, OkramIbobi Singh by the Enforcement Department (ED). Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against him and five IAS (Indian Administrative Services) officers last year on the complaint of BJP-led Manipur government, for alleged misappropriation of public funds. The ED had sought documents from the CBI.
The ED would do a detailed study of the CBI FIR and file a case of money laundering against Singh; retired IAS official and former Chairman of Manipur Development Society (MDS) D.S. Poonia; retired IAS and then MDS Chairman P.C. Lawmuknga; retired IAS and former MDS Chairman ONabakishore Singh; and also former MDS Project Director Y. Ningthem Singh.
From the residence of O Nabakishore Singh, the seized documents showed that he had acquired a four-floored building spread over 7000 square feet of land. Apart from that two houses, nine bank accounts, flat in Gurugram, a flat in Ghaziabad and a two-storied under-construction building in Manipur.
The ED officials say that if they can prove that all of these assets were purchased from proceeds of crime, then under the provisions of PMLA, ED can seize these assets.
It has been alleged that during the period from June 30, 2009 to July 6, 2017, the above accused had misappropriated government funds worth Rs 332 crore from Rs 518 crore which were given for the development of various projects across the State.
Around 64 per cent of the total fund was illegally but systematically drawn off. The ED will look into the face that during the searches by CBI in last November, there was a huge recovery of huge cash including demonetised currency, details of properties and luxury cars purchased in their name or their family name. The CBI raids also led to the recovery of Rs 15.47 lakh in cash and demonetised currency worth Rs 36.49 lakh last year. (Agencies)