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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | EC wants tabs on netas' dodgy deals -Pradeep Thakur

EC wants tabs on netas' dodgy deals -Pradeep Thakur

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published Published on Jun 7, 2013   modified Modified on Jun 7, 2013
-The Times of India


NEW DELHI: The Election Commission (EC) has written to the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) to keep tabs on all suspicious transactions of politicians, especially those contesting elections, and report them to enforcement agencies for investigation.

The directive to the FIU is a bid to cleanse elections of illicit money use. The FIU is also preparing dossiers on asset details of all candidates contesting Lok Sabha and assembly polls, sources said. The last such directive from the EC was issued to the FIU ahead of the Karnataka elections and the latter was asked to scan candidates asset details using the copies of affidavits filed by them before the Commission.

The EC is also coordinating closely with investigative agencies on cash seizures made during elections and keeping a close watch on candidates and their poll expenses.

In the recent assembly polls, the EC - with the help of enforcement agencies - seized more than Rs 21 crore in cash and 12 kg of gold all linked to politicians. An investigation is being carried out by the Income Tax authorities on these seizures.

Earlier, the EC had asked the banking division of the finance ministry to monitor politically exposed persons (PEPs) - politicians, their relatives and other front entities operating on their behalf - to be subjected to enhanced due diligence.

This was in line with the guidelines issued by the Paris-based inter-governmental body Financial Action Task Force - of which India is a member - that suspect Indian politicians and senior bureaucrats should be brought under mandatory anti-money laundering surveillance, similar to what they do in case of foreigners.

However, Indian regulators and the finance ministry is making a distinction between Indian PEPs and foreign PEPs providing for only foreign PEPs to be subjected to enhanced scrutiny by banks and financial institutions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

There was also a suggestion that the expenditure on election expenses by candidates like erecting pandals, hiring taxies, etc, attract service tax and the service tax department was asked to keep a watch on such services.

But despite such guidelines from FATF, Indian regulators such as the Reserve Bank of India and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) in their guidelines issued on anti-money laundering have only recognized foreign PEPs as vulnerable entities and suggested enhanced customer due diligence measures for KYC only on such entities, Indian politicians and their front entities are exempted.

There was a consistent demand by the EC and other investigative agencies to even put domestic PEPs to stricter due diligence and that rules under PMLA should accordingly be amended.


The Times of India, 7 June, 2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/EC-wants-tabs-on-netas-dodgy-deals/articleshow/20469417.cms


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