ED chargesheet: 'AAP routed Rs 45 cr for Goa campaign through hawala channels'

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), in its chargesheet, claims that the AAP was a direct beneficiary of Rs 45 crore of the Rs 100 crore kickback in the Delhi liquor policy case, and it was routed for campaigning in the Goa Assembly polls through hawala channels.

"The AAP is a beneficiary of proceeds of crime to the tune of 45 crore that was transferred to Goa through hawala and then used in the election campaign. In this manner, the AAP, headed by Arvind Kejriwal, is involved in activities of use, acquisition, and concealment of proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs 45 crore," the chargesheet says.

The central agency has cited chats between the accused and other evidence to establish Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's role in the liquor policy.

However, Kejriwal has denied any role in the liquor policy case and suggests that funds for the Goa election were managed by Goa AAP in-charge Durgesh Pathak. 

According to ED, Kejriwal told the probe agency that there is a Political Affairs Committee (PAC), which takes all decisions on behalf of the National Executive. However, the National Executive being a larger body does not meet often, so the PAC makes decisions in the name of the National Executive. 

Kejriwal heads the PAC and the National Executive.

"Durgesh Pathak was state in charge/Prabhari for Goa elections. The state election in charge/parbhari manages entire election campaigning and other activities for the party and takes all decisions related to the campaigning process," the chief minister told the agency as per the chargesheet. He also stated that the state election in charge takes final decisions with regards to expenditures to be made in the election campaigning. 

According to the charge sheet, the chief minister said the shortlist for each seat is prepared by prabhari, and the same is submitted to the PAC, which takes the final decision for selection of AAP candidates. The AAP incurred some expenditures and some expenditures were incurred by the candidates in the Goa Assembly election, he told the agency.  

"Normally, prabhari takes decision about day-to-day expenditure, depending upon the availability of funds. Candidates meet their own expenditures by raising funds from relatives, friends, and other acquaintances strictly through banking channels. Very rarely, if the party has some funds available the same is provided to some very poor candidates in his bank account," Kejriwal said, adding that no funds in the form of cash were provided to the candidates. 

"Durgesh Pathak was state prabhari in Goa Assembly election 2022. Prabhari is normally responsible for the total management of elections in the state. The state prabhari is decided by the PAC. The state prabhari reports to the PAC. Accounts and the decision with regard to the expenditure was made by the respective state prabharis," Kejriwal said as per the ED. The agency said Kejriwal maintained that he had no role in the decisions regarding funding. 

The ED has named Kejriwal and the AAP in the supplementary chargesheet. On Tuesday, Special Judge Kaveri Baweja took cognisance of the chargesheet and issued summons to Kejriwal for July 12. The agency arrested Kejriwal, also the national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party, from his official residence here on March 21. It has alleged that Kejriwal was the "kingpin and key conspirator" of the excise "scam" and was "vicariously responsible" for it.

The ED stated that Charanpreet Singh, an employee of Chariot Productions, received the Rs 45 crore amount through hawala channels to be used in the Goa polls. For this, Singh, who joined the AAP's Goa campaign on a freelance basis, was paid Rs 1 lakh by the party. 

The central agency also cited the chats between Kejriwal and C Arvind, former secretary of Manish Sisodia, to establish how the Chief Minister allegedly tried to misguide the investigation. The agency claimed that a huge amount of evidence was destroyed.

The ED said Kejriwal's close aide Vinod Chauhan directly interacted with the hawala traders. The ED's probe has revealed that Chauhan was responsible for transferring Rs 25 crore through the hawala route for the Goa polls. He was arrested by the agency in May this year.

Kejriwal told the ED that Vijay Nair, co-accused in the case, worked under Delhi ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bhardwaj.

(With inputs from Arvind Ojha and Sreya Chatterjee)