New Delhi: Amid reports of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) planning to lodge a money-laundering case against AltNews co-founder Mohammed Zubair and beginning investigation soon into illicit foreign funding, the fact-checking website today issued a statement claiming that the allegations against it are false.
Following Zubair’s arrest, the company has been at the centre over controversy over claims that the fact-checker was receiving funding from countries like Pakistan & Syria. The addition of more charges including the one under Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act against him further raised suspicion on his & company’s financial transactions.
Issuing clarification over illegal foreign funding, the AltNews today said that all the charges against it are ‘motivated and nothing more than witch-hunt’. It claimed that there was an attempt to shut down the organization for the critical work that it was doing.
“We will fight this attempt to shut down and come out on top,” it said in a statement.
Our statement regarding the recent allegations: pic.twitter.com/XwfpE7egcJ
— Alt News (@AltNews) July 4, 2022
The company in a press statement clearly says that the allegations of receiving foreign funding are categorically false. It said that the company’s payment platform doesn’t allow receipt of funds from foreign sources and question about receiving funds from countries like Pakistan & Syria are unsubstantiated.
“We have received funds donations from Indian bank accounts only. All the donations received via these accounts go to company’s bank account,” said the company.
Zubair was arrested by Delhi Police for hurting religious sentiments of certain community and promoting enmity between two groups.