Jairam Ramesh fires 16th series of 3 more questions pointing out Adani's global kleptocratic network

New Delhi: Congress General Secretary (Communications) on Tuesday fired 16th series of three more questions on the alleged involvement of the Adani Group in a global kleptocratic network involving many firms with deep political connections.

These include the Adani Group's several party transactions using Russia's VIB Bank which faced international sanctions for several years. VTB also appears in the Rosneft Oil Purchase of an Essar-owned port and refinery in Gujarat for US $13 billion on October 14, 2016 in which Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin played a critical role in finalising. Risneft had agreed to pay at least twice as much as Essar Oil is worth.

Between September 4, 2015 and October 28, 2016, public sector firms PNGC, Oil India, Indian Oil and Bharat Petrol Resources together bought 49.9% states in Rosneft Oil subsidiary Vankomeft for US $4.23 billion, in which VTB may also be involved.

This is a suspicious pattern in which the public sector units overpay a Russian firm for an oil assert. Given your direct involvement in the Essar transaction, did you transfer the Indian taxpayer money into the pockets of private Indian companies to help finance your political activities?

2. New Leaina is a Cyprus-based entity, 95% of whose investments have been in Adeani Group companies(adding up to US $420 million." The ultimate beneficial owners are linked to the financial ervices firm Amicorp that set up at least seven Adani entities and 17 offshore shell companies linked to Gautam Adani's brother Vinod and three Mauritius-based offshore investors. Amicrop is notorious for its involvement in US $4.5 billion funds from the Malaysia sovereign wealth. Are the Adani Group adn other business houses involved ina global kleptocratic network to channel public funds into the coffers of politically-connected leaders in India?

3. Also New Leaina appears guilty of stock parking, in which a third party holds shares to conceal the actual owners or control before the regulators. Since we know the SEBI has had these firms on its radar for some time now, what is the status of the investigations into the illegal practice of tock parking by shells and entities related to the Adani group? Are the firm's deep global links inhibiting a proper investigation?

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