ED attaches over Rs 17 crore assets of Amnesty International India

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday attached bank deposits of Amnesty International worth over Rs 17 crore in connection with money laundering case.

The agency said in a statement that a provisional order has been issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) “attaching bank accounts of Amnesty International India Pvt Ltd (AIIPL) and Indians for Amnesty International Trust (IAIT)”.

It said “both the entities have acquired the proceeds of crime and layered the same in the form of various movable properties. The order involves attachment of movable properties worth of Rs 17.66 crore being proceeds of crime”.

However, the statement said the same was cancelled on the basis of the “adverse” inputs received.

“Since permission/registration has been denied to the said entity on the basis of adverse inputs received from security agencies during the year 2011-12, AIIPL and IAIT were formed in the year 2013-14 and 2012-13, respectively to escape the FCRA route and carried out NGO activities in the guise of service export and FDI,” the agency alleged.

A probe found, the ED said, that upon cancellation of the FCRA licence by the Union government, Amnesty International India Foundation Trust and Amnesty entities adopted “new method” to receive money from abroad.

The agency said Amnesty International, UK sent Rs 51.72 crore to AIIPL in the guise of export of services and the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

“For export proceeds/advances to Amnesty International UK there was no documentary proof, such as invoices and copies of agreement between AIIPL and Amnesty International UK, has been furnished by AIIPL to the authorised dealer (AD) banks.”