2G scam: ED orders freezing of accounts, attachment of properties

Enforcement Directorate today ordered freezing of bank accounts and attachment of immovable properties worth Rs 223 crore of five companies in connection with the alleged bribe of Rs 200 crore paid to Kalaignar TV in the 2G spectrum allocation scam.

The value of properties attached of these companies are Dynamix Realty (Rs134 crore), Conwood Construction and Developers (Rs22 crore), Nihar Constructions (Rs1.10 crore), DB Realty (Rs52 crore) and Eversmile Construction Company (Rs13 crore).

When contacted, representatives of the construction companies said they were awaiting the order.

ED has made the CBI charge sheet in this regard as the basis for this order.

"As per the charge sheets of CBI, a bribe of Rs200 crores was given by Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd. (now M/s Etisalat DB Telecom Pvt Ltd.) to Kalaignar TV through a number of intermediary companies in the garb of loan or share application money. However, the same was returned to Dynamix Realty (a company of Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka)," ED officials alleged.

"The details of the charge sheet show disclosures made by the intermediary companies in the movement of the bribe money under the garb of loan or share application money do not substantiate a genuine and bonafide financial transactions," they said.

The order has been issued on a probe report by investigating officer of the case Rajeshwar Singh.

The companies can challenge the order before Delhi-based appellate authority for Prevention of Money Laundering (PMLA) cases.