AAP's excise policy to raise illegal funds: ED

New Delhi: In its charge sheet filed in connection to the Delhi Excise Policy scam, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has alleged that AAP leaders introduced it to generate illegal funds.

"PMLA investigation revealed that the Delhi Excise Policy, 2021-22, was a device created by leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), some of who are part of the Delhi government to generate illegal funds," reads the charge sheet. The ED has also alleged that it was created to receive around 6 per cent as a kickback to the AAP leaders from profit margin.

"The policy was formulated with deliberate loopholes, inbuilt mechanism to facilitate illegal activities and is marred with inconsistencies which when looked deeply, reflect mala fide intentions of the policymakers," the probe agency further claimed.

The ED also said that the policy promoted cartel formations through back door, awarded exorbitant wholesale (12 per cent) and huge retail profit margin of 185 per cent and incentivised other illegal activities on account of criminal and political conspiracy of the AAP leaders.

"The 12 per cent profit margin to the wholesalers was devised to extract a portion of it (6 per cent) as a kickback to the AAP leaders," reads the charge sheet.

This is the first charge sheet filed by the ED in connection to the scam. It was filed against businessman Sameer Mahendru and his four firms.

The probe agency has so far named five accused.