The Asian Age quoted officials of India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) as saying they had found, in their probe into Naik’s activities, that construction on five of Naik’s recently identified ‘benami’ properties had been stuck for years. Naik is said to have invested more than Rs 20 crore (RM12 million) in these residential flats located in Mumbai and Pune.
Benami refers to any transaction in which property is transferred to one person for a consideration paid by another person.
“We had summoned the two persons in whose names the properties were registered. The property documents in their possession revealed their incomplete status,” The Asian Age quoted an ED officer as saying.
The two mentioned as owners on the documents are not related to Naik. While one building had no walls, the other only had a plinth which had been constructed, officials said.
Officials told The Asian Age the money invested in these properties had allegedly been sent by Naik. Several bank accounts belonging to Naik’s Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), and its media arm Harmony Media Private Limited, allegedly received donations worth Rs200 crore between 2013 and 2016. The transfer was allegedly supervised by Naik’s point man Amir Gazdar, who is currently out on bail. Out of the Rs200 crore, around Rs60 crore came from Saudi Arabia and was routed via Dubai, the ED probe stated.
The ED had earlier found benami properties registered in the name of Naik’s brother, sister, and distant relatives, the report said. The ED attached properties worth Rs 18.3 crore owned by Naik and his non-profit IRF in March last year, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Naik is wanted by the Indian enforcement authorities for questioning over allegations of spreading hatred through his speeches, funding terror groups and laundering money. He has, however, fled the country. Naik, who enjoys Malaysian permanent resident (PR) status, has been seen frequently in Malaysia.
Naik’s presence in Malaysia had caused tensions and apprehensions, mostly among non-Muslims. Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy and 18 activists filed a suit against the government for allegedly harbouring the fugitive Muslim preacher and granting him PR status, but the case was thrown out by the High Court on Feb 13.
Hindraf’s lawyer S Karthigesan had said Justice Azizah Nawawi had ruled in chambers that the group should have named Naik as a party in the lawsuit, along with the government.