Enforcement Directorate takes written statement from Koda

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which questioned former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda for the last two days at a jail here in connection with a multi-crore scam, took a written statement from him which is "admissible in a court of law."

"The statement is a part of judicial proceeding and admissible in a court of law under section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act," an official said today. 

A team of officials headed by ED's deputy director DN Podar grilled Koda on January 21 and 22 before leaving for Delhi with the statement running into several pages, the official said.

According to ED sources, Koda was asked on alleged illegal investments and hawala transactions accounting to several thousand crores besides his "undeclared foreign tours".

Koda was arrested by Vigilance Bureau on November 30 in connection with a disproportionate assets case being probed by the state agency.

The ED has been investigating the case since it booked Koda and seven others on October 9, 2009 in connection with the Rs 4000 crore scam involving mine purchases.

In raids carried out at 70 places across the country on October 31, the investigating officials had claimed to have found evidence of illegal investments and hawala transactions worth Rs2000 crore.