Vivo PMLA: More arrests likely, after ED arrests Chinese CEO

NEW DELHI | Updated: 26 December, 2023 8:43 pm IST

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is awaiting additional arrests in the Chinese firm Vivo India’s Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case, on Tuesday.

Presently, the ED has summoned more persons to join the cohort of interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Hong Xuquan, alias Terry, alongside consultant Hemant Munjal and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Harinder Dahiya. According to the central agency, the organisation had accrued an amount of Rs 62,000 crore which was sent to China during the course of the crime.

The accused trio was arrested on December 22 and has now been put under two days’ remand with the ED. The central agency’s sources added further that they had applied for an additional five days of judicial custody.

 

However, the central agency has not divulged details regarding the summoned entities.

Officials from the ED have claimed that they have collected “voluminous email data” belonging to Terry and data from digital devices, crucial to the case, had been extracted.

“E-mail backup of the e-mail id used by Terry has also been gathered during investigation which is voluminous and the same is required to be confronted with him. Considering the quantity of data extracted from the e-mail back up and digital devices seized during searches, it is submitted that the interrogation requires more time,” said an ED source.

 

During the course of the additional custody, the agency will now confront Terry with the acquired data.

Earlier in October, four persons including Chinese national, Guangwen Kyang, Managing Director of Lava International, Hari Om Rai, and Vivo’s Chartered Accountant, Nitin Garg, were arrested by the ED.

All four accused are currently in judicial custody, with the agency having filed a chargesheet already.

The PMLA case against Vivo was lodged in accordance to an FIR registered by the Delhi Police. According to the ED, the Chinese company has generated over Rs 1.25 lakh since 2014, the year of its initiation of Indian operations.

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