The Enforcement Directorate (ED) informed the Supreme Court on Tuesday that its investigation has found that the 2G spectrum scam pay offs worth crores of rupees were laundered through hawala transactions and that the beneficiaries committed large-scale foreign exchange violations as well as forgery.

The ED said 31 firms have been summoned so far in connection with the case, adding that statements of 26 companies were recorded.

Senior advocate Mr K.K. Venugopal, representing the ED, submitted the agency's status report before the apex court. The CBI will submit its status report on Wednesday.

According to the ED, prima facie there were large-scale violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code. The ED report talks about illegal money linked to the 2G spectrum allocation sent overseas through hawala channels, and deposited in several foreign banks.

According to the ED, this has been corroborated by e-mails. The ED also said there is involvement of some hawala operators.

The ED also informed that Letters Rogatory have been sent to Cyprus, Singapore, Jersey and Virgin Islands, adding that transactions worth several crores of rupees have been traced, many of which were linked to countries including Mauritius.

NGO plea

Meanwhile, the apex court said it will consider on Wednesday the plea of the petitioner NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation that two officials of impeccable integrity – a Vigilance Commissioner of the Central Vigilance Commission and a retired senior Government official of good repute – should be appointed to assist the court in the supervision of the 2G scam investigation carried out by the CBI and the ED.

The court said it will also consider the letter of the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court on the setting up of a Special Court exclusively to hear the 2G case.

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