Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Hawala man shows Jagat's oil cash

The Justice Pathak Committee investigating the Volcker Report, last year revealed that former external affairs minister Natwar Singh's son Jagat Singh had transferred $43,793 from the account of M/S Coburg Associates to Andaleeb Sehgal's Hamdaan Exports.

The alleged kickback in the oil-for-food scam was then used to buy a Mercedes Benz car, which was registered in the name of Delhi-based businessman and alleged hawala dealer Chetan Gupta.

At that the time, Jagat Singh had challenged the Enforcement Directorate to prove his links to the Mercedes. But, unfortunately, the ED could not lay its hand on any proof.
However, CNN-IBN has some documents, found in a
pen drive recovered from Chetan Gupta, which may turn out to be a piece of corroborate evidence against Jagat Singh. Incidentally, the Pathak Committee, too, was looking for this very pen drive.

According to Vigilance Bureau, the pen drive shows Chetan Gupta's computerised statements of black money accounts that Natwar Singh, his wife — referred to as Bibaji, who also happens to be former Punjab CM Amarinder Singh's sister — and his son Jagat Singh maintained with him.
The statements point to a series of payments from two accounts – ‘JAGAT/CAR' and 'JAGAT care of BIBAJI’ — against entries labeled as cars.

The 2001-2002 account statement also shows transfer of money from Andaleeb Sehgal to Jagat Singh's black money account maintained by Chetan Gupta. The entries reveal that Gupta used to pay 24 per cent interest to Jagat on this money.

It has long been speculated that politicians use hawala operators to siphon their black money to foreign banks. It is possible that Chetan Gupta's testimony on Natwar Singh and his family's hawala operations may just be a ripple on the surface of a sea of corruption.
The black money accounts of Natwar and his wife — referred to as Bibaji 'N.S.', 'NS' and 'BIBA' — all show crores of rupees deposited with Chetan Gupta. Money routed through these accounts was even used to buy a flat in London in the name of Natwar Singh's wife Herminder Kumari.

We have document in our possession which shows that a Mercedes was bought using kickback money, The car was registered in the name of Chetan Gupta and The entries also reveal that Gupta used to pay 24 per cent interest to Jagat.

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