Chidambaram again gets pinned; ED questions him in connection with aviation scam of UPA era

New Delhi, January 04: Congress's P Chidambaram has again come under the ED lenses while the agency on Saturday questioned him for about six hours in connection with a money laundering probe into an alleged aviation scam said to have occurred during the UPA dispensation.

 

 

"Chidambaram's statement was recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)", the statement read adding the questioning went on for about six hours at the agency office. The Congress leader was first summoned by the federal probe agency in this case on August 23 last year but at that time he was under CBI custody after being arrested in the INX Media alleged corruption case.

 

The latest investigation pertains to losses suffered by Air India due to an alleged multi-crore aviation scam and irregularities in fixing air slots for international airlines.

 

The Enforcement Directorate probe in this case also relates to the purchase of over 110 aircraft in 2006, costing about Rs 70,000 crore, for the national airline. The CAG had in 2011 questioned the rationale behind the government's decision to order the airplanes.