"Smear Campaign": Journalist Rana Ayyub On Money Laundering Allegations
NDTV
"As per Ketto's procedure, all donors to my campaigns made donations to Ketto's bank account..." journalist Rana Ayyub said on money laundering allegations
Journalist Rana Ayyub has dismissed allegations of money laundering funds collected for philanthropic work as a "smear campaign" against her. In a statement a day after the Enforcement Directorate, or ED, locked up Rs 1.77 crore belonging to the vocal critic of the ruling BJP, she said she is "confident that the allegations levelled against me will not withstand any fair and honest scrutiny." My statementhttps://t.co/EgMfHXjoaTpic.twitter.com/tlxahJz94J
Sources in the ED have said it had issued a provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, or PMLA, to attach a fixed deposit and bank accounts in Ms Ayyub and her family's name. Attaching a property means it cannot be transferred, converted or moved.
"As per Ketto's procedure, all donors to my campaigns made donations to Ketto's bank account, which after deducting processing charges, would forward the same for the relief campaign to the designated 2 bank accounts, who in turn would then transfer the entire amount received from Ketto to my bank account," Ms Ayyub said in the statement she posted on Substack and Twitter.
"It is pertinent that no foreign donations were received by me or the 2 designated bank accounts, as all the donations were received first in Ketto's bank account, who would send the amount for the relief campaign to the designated accounts in Indian currency. My instructions to Ketto were that any money received in foreign currency, should be returned to the donor, and the relief work was carried out with only domestic contributions," Ms Ayyub said.
