Put house in order: Centre raps ED over poor conviction rate
After being advised by the Apex Court to focus on quality prosecution and evidence, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was recently pulled by Finance Ministry officials over poor conviction rate.
The parent ministry also asked the economic intelligence agency to put its house in order in the light of some of its own personnel getting arrested in corruption charges in recent times.
The Tribune has learnt that at a recent high-level review meeting, top Finance Ministry officials conveyed to the ED chief that the anti-money laundering agency should focus not just on politically sensitive cases but also on other crucial cases which require equal attention.
The review meeting came just months after the Supreme Court on August 7 had highlighted the low conviction rate in money laundering cases of the agency and underscored the need for the ED to focus on the quality of prosecution.
In the last 10 years, of 5,297 cases lodged under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), convictions were secured in only 40 cases, the government data show.
The ED falls under the jurisdiction of the Finance Ministry.
Sources further informed the Tribune that during the meeting, the agency was asked by Revenue Secretary Sanjay Malhotra to improve its image and put its house in order.
Malhotra is said to have expressed concern over the rising cases of the ED officials getting arrested in corruption cases.
In August this year, the CBI had arrested an Assistant Director of the ED for allegedly accepting bribes to the tune of Rs 20 lakh in the Capital.
The ED official was reportedly accepting a bribe from a jeweller in lieu of relief to his son in a case registered by the agency.
Recently, the Delhi Police arrested a contractual employee working at the ED's Delhi office for allegedly sending a fake notice to a leading herbal company and trying to extort money.
Last year in December, an ED official was arrested after he was caught allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 20 lakh from a government employee in Tamil Nadu's Dindigul. He was arrested by the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Department.
Focus on all cases equally
The Tribune has learnt that at a recent high-level review meeting, top finance ministry officials conveyed to the ED chief that the anti-money laundering agency should focus not just on politically sensitive cases but also on other crucial cases which require equal attention.
