The Enforcement Directorate (ED) announced on Monday that it has withdrawn the consent it granted last year to dismissed policeman Sachin Vaze, a key accused in its money laundering case against NCP leader and former state minister Anil Deshmukh and others, to become a prosecution witness or approver in the case.
Enforcement Directorate's Consent Withdrawn
The ED had previously given its 'no objection' to Vaze's application to be made an approver. However, they have now reversed their decision, withdrawing the consent they had initially provided.
An approver is granted pardon by the court if they make full disclosure of facts within their knowledge regarding the offense during their court testimony. Such testimony can assist the prosecution in proving offenses against other co-accused individuals.
Allegations Against Anil Deshmukh and Illegal Collections
Both the ED's money laundering case and the corruption case against Anil Deshmukh and others have a common origin. The allegations involve Deshmukh instructing Vaze, who was reinstated after a long suspension period, to collect illegal funds from the city's resto bars during the pandemic. This was supposedly done in exchange for relaxed operation timings during the strict lockdown.
While the special CBI court handling the corruption case promptly approved Vaze's plea and made him an approver, his application before the special court designated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), which handles the ED's money laundering matter, is still awaiting a decision.
Vaze's Plea and Corroborated Evidence
Vaze had submitted an application to be made an approver in the ED case, citing the approval he received from the CBI court. He emphasized that the subject matter of the predicate offense investigated by the CBI and the present case is identical. Vaze pointed out that the ED's chargesheet explicitly mentions that his statements are corroborated with other substantial evidence. In his plea, he sought to be granted a tender of pardon and expressed his willingness to make a true and complete disclosure.
