MUMBAI: Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal’s wife, Anita, received Rs 12.2 crore and their son, Nivaan, Rs 2.9 crore for “consultancy services” but Jet could not provide documents to support the claim, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said in its chargesheet submitted as part of its probe into the Canara Bank fraud.
A special PMLA court took cognisance of the chargesheet against Goyal,74, Anita, 71, and four firms on Wednesday. It traces how Goyal allegedly diverted loans and laundered them through his wife, his two children and firms linked to him. Goyal was held on September 1.
On Anita, the ED said crores from Rs 5,700 crore loans were transferred to her personal accounts directly or via related entities and used for her personal expenses.
Goyal’s wife was Jet director when loans okayed, trustee of his offshore a/cs: ED
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), in a chargesheet against Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal, his wife Anita Goyal, two children and four companies associated with him, said she was one of Jet’s directors when loans were sanctioned by different banks. It said that the loans later turned into nonperforming assets. It also alleged that she is a trustee-beneficiary of trusts formed by Goyal that are based in tax haven countries and where money is suspected to have been stashed. On the couple’s children, the ED chargesheet said Nivaan and Namrata Goyal were also employed by Jet following Goyal’s recommendation for an annual salary of around Rs 25 lakh each. It said Nivaan used to work in revenue management and Namrata in the cabin crew department. “Both of them started their careers at Jet Airways and were still in the learning phase. Still, they were given luxurious cars by the company and certain personal expenses were borne by the company,” the ED said. The investigation agency has not submitted a chargesheet against Nivaan and Namrata.
The ED said summons were issued to Nivaan, an NRI, but he didn’t cooperate and never responded to any notice. It said he is also the beneficiary of the proceeds of crime as some foreign properties that were earlier purchased by Naresh and family from the money siphoned off from JIL were recently transferred in his name through execution of gift deeds. “It is further revealed that he (Nivaan) has currently no business and occupation. His day-to-day expenses are met from money transferred by Naresh Goyal from his foreign-based accounts and trusts of Naresh Goyal based in tax haven countries. Further investigations to unearth such funds stashed in foreign jurisdiction are still on,” the ED said. The chargesheet quoted Goyal’s statement that around $4 million was given to Nivaan for his business and expenses by trustees of foreign trusts settled by him. The chargesheet also elaborated on the alleged roles of Hasmukh Gardi, co-founder of JIL, in perpetuating the frauds. It said Tailwinds, the holding company of JIL, was incorporated in 1992 in Isle of Man, a tax haven country, and that its official papers and investment structure were prepared with Gardi’s assistance. “Naresh Goyal was an NRI since 1991 and holds hundreds of bank accounts in foreign countries… Hasmukh Gardi handled the foreign accounts of Naresh Goyal.
Gardi even held the power of attorney since 2000 for the bank accounts of Naresh Goyal. He has been the ultimate controlling party of various related entities of JIL in conjunction with Naresh Goyal. He was also one of the trustees in trusts created by Naresh Goyal in India and abroad. He also created many companies in tax haven countries that were the subsidiary of velated GSAs (general sales agents) of JIL overseas,” the ED said. It said Gardi was summoned by the agency and directed to furnish details regarding the foreign trusts, including details of assets held by trusts of Goyal and family members in which he is also a trustee, but neither did he appear nor did he respond.
