New Delhi, Jun 8 (PTI) A Kerala businessman, who recently levelled corruption charges against an ED officer posted in the state, has recorded his statement with the central agency where he is understood to have denied knowing or having any evidence against the said investigator, official sources said Sunday.

The businessman, Aneesh Babu, deposed before the Enforcement Directorate in Delhi on June 6 and his statement was recorded under audio-visual camera by the agency as per the provisions of section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Such a statement made under the anti-money laundering law is admissible before the court.

Babu was directed by the Kerala High Court, after he petitioned it against the ED summons, to appear before the agency on May 30 but he skipped it and appeared on the second summons issued for June 6, agency sources said.

Last month, the Kerala Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) office in Ernakulam had booked an Assistant Director rank officer of the federal probe agency working at its Kochi office alleging that some private persons approached Babu and “demanded” Rs 2 crore from him in lieu of “settling” a March, 2021 registered money laundering case being investigated by the ED against him.

Sources said Babu, during the recording of his statement last week in Delhi, has “denied” knowledge of involvement of any ED officer vis-a-vis the VACB case, saying he “only” knows a person named Wilson.

Wilson was arrested by the VACB on charges of taking a Rs 2 lakh bribe from Babu for “settling” the ED case against him.

According to the sources, the businessman told the agency that he “did not have any evidence” regarding the involvement of the ED officer against whom he had complained to the VACB.

Asked to produce evidence regarding his claim of more than hundred WhatsApp calls between him and Wilson, Babu could not furnish any proof, the sources claimed.

It was found during investigation that a transaction of Rs 50,000 made by Babu to a shell company accused in the VACB case has been “returned”.

The sources alleged Babu was probably being “guided” by someone to “implicate” ED officers posted in Kerala.

The ED case against Babu, his father Babu George and mother Anitha Babu was filed taking cognisance of five FIR’s filed by the Kerala Police Crime Branch and Kottarakara Police (Kollam district).

They were charged by the police for “cheating” different persons to the tune of Rs 24.73 crore by promising them to import cashews at low prices from Africa through Vazhavila Cashews, Kottarakara.

Sources alleged Babu “did not cooperate” with the ED investigation in the cashew import case so far and has moved courts on various grounds, which were, however, dismissed.

Agency sources had said that the allegations against the ED and its officers were a “deliberate” attempt to “tarnish” their image.

These charges, ED sources said in past, appears to be an attempt to trigger a “media trial” and “deflect” attention from the ongoing money laundering case (cashew import case).

Sekhar Kumar, the accused ED officer posted in Kochi, had recently approached the Kerala High Court seeking anticipatory bail in the VACB case. The HC asked VACB not to arrest him till June 11.

The HC also gave a similar relief to Babu and directed the ED not to arrest him for the time being. PTI NES DV DV