Abhishek Banerjee appears before ED for questioning in primary school jobs case
Questioning takes place a day after ED sleuths questioned TMC MP for nearly eight-and-a-half hours
Kolkata, Jun 15 (PTI) Sleuths of the Enforcement Directorate on Monday began interrogating Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in connection with their probe into the alleged primary school recruitment scam, an official said.
The questioning took place a day after Banerjee had a similar session for nearly eight and a half hours with the state CID regarding the forgery of MLAs' signatures on documents related to the appointment of the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly.
The official said the federal probe agency has listed two dozen questions for the TMC's Diamond Harbour MP in connection with the scam, the official said.
"The entire session will be videographed, verified, and cross-checked with other evidence and the versions of other accused persons arrested in this matter," the official told PTI.
They will also confront Banerjee with financial documents, digital records and statements from other accused persons to trace the alleged proceeds of crime, he added.
"Our focus is on the money trail. Who handled funds, how they moved across accounts and entities, and whether these transactions were layered to conceal their origin," the officer said.
The agency would seek clarifications on "inconsistencies observed between earlier submissions and fresh materials recovered during searches".
Banerjee reached the ED's CGO Complex office around 11 am following a summons issued in the money laundering probe linked to irregularities in primary teacher recruitments, he said.
The questioning will also cover the role of intermediaries and beneficiary entities flagged during forensic analysis.
"We have obtained bank records and communication data indicating the involvement of multiple fronts. Today's examination aims to reconcile those data points with Mr Banerjee's version," he said.
The ED has questioned several people, including former minister Chandranath Sinha, in connection with their probe into the scam. PTI