New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) recorded the statement of Congress President Sonia Gandhi for about three hours on the third day of her questioning on Wednesday in the National Herald newspaper linked money laundering case.
On Tuesday, she was questioned for almost six hours with a lunch break in between.
For her third day questioning, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accompanied her with a medicine box. A team led by additional director Monika Sharma has been recording her statement.
Priyanka Gandhi was allowed to be present in the ED office, but she had to wait in another room in case her mother needed any medicine.
Sources have suggested that Sonia Gandhi was asked the same set of questions that were put to Rahul Gandhi during his five-day questioning.
Sonia Gandhi, 75, was asked over 70 questions in the last two days of questioning, the sources said. She was at the Enforcement Directorate's office for eight hours. She reached the agency's office around 11 am this morning.
Enforcement Directorate officials said Sonia Gandhi was "quick" in answering questions.
Her son and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's questioning took place over five days and he was asked around 150 questions.
The Enforcement Directorate is expected to match her statement with that of Rahul Gandhi as both are majority stakeholders in Young Indian, officials said.
The Gandhis are being investigated in what is called the "National Herald case" involving the Young Indian's takeover of Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the company that runs the National Herald newspaper founded by India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
The Enforcement Directorate says the Young Indian also took over ₹ 800 crore in assets of AJL. According to the Income Tax department, this should be considered an asset of the shareholders of Young Indian -- Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi - for which they should pay tax.
Denying any wrongdoing, the Congress asserts that the Young Indian is a "not-for-profit" company and so, there can be no question of money laundering.
(with inputs from agencies)
