A special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court in Mumbai on June 30 summoned Vijay Mallya to appear before the court on August 27 under the recently promulgated Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance, 2018.
Enforcement Directorate’s has filed a plea seeking action against Mallya under the fugitive economic offenders ordinance in the over Rs 9,000 crore bank fraud scam and also immediate confiscation of his assets worth around Rs 12,500 crore.
Special judge M S Azmi issued the notice to Mallya after taking cognizance of the second ED chargesheet filed against him.
“It is incorrect that my settlement offer before the Karnataka HC was motivated by the latest charge-sheet under the media reported Fugitive Ordinance. I always had honest intentions to settle and there is ample proof,” Mallya tweeted.
He added, “I am asked for comment on being labelled a fugitive economic offender. When I have placed assets on the table before the Karnataka High Court in excess of the bank claims, how can I be an economic offender? The fugitive part falls away.”
On June 22 he Mallya filed an application before the Karnataka High Court setting out available assets of approximately Rs 13,900 crores.
On reply to his application for settlement of dues M J Akbar, minister of state for external affairs, said, “if Mallya wanted to repay to the banks, he had many years in which he could have done so.”
If Mallya does not appear before the PMLA court within the given time, he will be declared as a fugitive economic offender, in addition to properties owned by him being confiscated.
