Koda to be quizzed by vigilance, ED officials

Ranchi: Arrested former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda, who is at the centre of a Rs 2,500 money laundering scam, will face interrogation by the state vigilance bureau and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) separately, officials said on Saturday.

Koda was arrested by the Jharkhand vigilance bureau on November 30 and has been lodged in the Birsa Munda Central Jail here.

He was arrested along with his ex-cabinet colleague Kamlesh Singh. They joined two other former cabinet colleagues -- Enos Ekka and Harinarayan Rai -- who are in jail since August 17.

On Friday, the vigilance bureau sought permission from the court to interrogate Koda.

According to sources, the court has granted permission to quiz both Koda and Kamlesh Singh in jail.

According to sources in the vigilance, the bureau has sought details of the raids conducted by the Income Tax (IT) on Koda and his associates.

"We have our own information and are seeking more information from the IT and other sources to nail the accused in the graft cases," a source in the vigilance bureau told IANS.

The vigilance bureau had filed a first information report (FIR) against Koda and three former cabinet colleagues -- Kamlesh Singh, Bhanu Pratap Sahi and Bandhu Tirkey -- July 22.

The charges against them include siphoning government money, cheating, amassing assets beyond their known sources of income and misusing their official positions. The cases were also lodged under different sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Their houses were raided July 24. The vigilance department allegedly seized documents related to huge investments, land and jewellery. From Tirkey's house a revolver was also seized.

The ED will interrogate Koda separately. According to sources, a team of ED officials are likely to arrive in Ranchi next week and may seek Koda's remand for interrogation.

Earlier, Koda did not appear before the ED on three occasions -- November 11, 15 and 19 -- and wrote to them seeking time till the assembly elections are over December 18. However, the Vigilance bureau arrested him.

On October 9, the ED lodged a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Koda, three former ministers as well as his associates Vinod Sinha and Sanjay Chaudhary.