AAP convener and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.
Credit: PTI Photo
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) will likely file its ninth supplementary chargesheet on Friday, where it is likely to name the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as well as its national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as the prime accused in the alleged Delhi liquor policy 'scam', News18 reported on Thursday.
The publication states that the AAP can be named an accused through Kejriwal via section 70 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
It also states that rules under the Representation of People's Act can be evoked by the ED to show that AAP's bank accounts were used to receive kickbacks from the alleged scam, which in turn were used to fund the party's campaign in the Goa assembly elections.
The publication also noted that this ED action could result in political and administrative implications for the AAP, which might lose its status if the Election Commission receives complaints from other parties seeking action, and might see its bank accounts and assets attached as part of the PMLA case proceedings.
The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday told the Supreme Court it will soon file a prosecution complaint against him and his party.
Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the ED, told a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta that the agency proposed to file a prosecution complaint (charge sheet) against Kejriwal and the AAP. "We will do it shortly. It is in the pipeline," he told the court.
The ED made the statement when the court was hearing Kejriwal’s challenge to his arrest in the money laundering case arising from the alleged Delhi excise scam.
Raju claimed the probe agency has enough evidence to show that Kejriwal demanded Rs 100 crore bribe which was used by AAP in the Goa assembly poll campaign.
"We have direct evidence that Kejriwal stayed in a seven-star hotel, whose bills were partly paid by an accused in the case," Raju submitted, adding Kejriwal played a key role in the formulation of the now scrapped Delhi excise policy. He alleged that Kejriwal, as the national convenor of the AAP, was vicariously responsible for the alleged scam. Kejriwal, despite being the chief minister, does not hold any departmental portfolio.
(With PTI inputs)