Hyderabad: Even as the Telangana anti-corruption bureau (ACB) has been investigating the sheep distribution ‘scam’, the Enforcement directorate (ED) has stepped in to probe into the suspected money laundering angle as per the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. So far, ACB has made ten arrests in the case, including top officials of the veterinary and animal husbandry department.
The zonal joint director of the Enforcement Directorate in Hyderabad has written to the managing director of Telangana State Sheep and Goat Development Cooperative Federation, seeking all the information related to the procurement of sheep by beneficiaries.
With the ACB probing allegations of Rs 700-crore ‘scam’ with the money changing hands, individuals from the neighbouring states have been found involved in the scam, leading the ED to launch the probe.
The ED has also sought the details of the district officials of the federation, including the accounts of officials in which funds were deposited. Details on the agencies that transported the sheep, the fodder purchased, beneficiaries that received it, and the report with the findings of the federation’s internal inquiry on the allegations has also been sought immediately.
BJP MP: ED served notices to KCR
Meanwhile, Medak BJP MP M Raghunandan Rao has claimed that the enforcement directorate officials issued notices to former chief minister and BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) in connection with the scam, and that there were difficult times ahead for KCR, Siddipet MLA T Harish Rao, and MLC P Venkatrama Reddy.
3-day ACB custody of accused ends
As the three-day ACB custody of former managing director of the federation Ramchander Naik and Kalyan, the former OSD to Animal husbandry minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav, ended on Thursday, they were sent to Chanchalguda Jail. As per sources, they didn’t give satisfactory answers during their questioning.
As per reports, they were asked about the involvement of others in the scam. They were asked who was the mastermind behind the scam, and how did they show the same set of sheep procured again and again in the records. The accused officials were questioned as to why such glaring irregularities were found in the audit reports, and why the money meant for the sellers of sheep ended up in the accounts of middlemen.
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