ED attaches London hotel in Unitech money-laundering case

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached London-based hotel in a money-laundering case against Unitech.

The hotel -- Bed and Breakfast -- valued at Rs. 58.61 crore, is owned by M/s Ibournshorne Limited, a UK-based associate company of Carnoustie Group. According to ED, Unitech Ltd had diverted home buyers’ money to the tune of Rs 325 crore to Carnoustie Group.

The ED Investigation showed that funds were diverted to the UK through Carnoustie Group, India and through Indesign Enterprises Pvt. Ltd, Cyprus. These funds were used for purchasing the shares of Ibounshorne Limited in the name of Carnoustie Management India Pvt Limited, an entity belonging to Carnoustie Group.

Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate had conducted searches on 38 locations in NCR & Mumbai on the premises of Shivalik Group, Trikar Group, Unitech Group and Carnoustie Group. The diversion of funds was detected after analysis of seized records followed by the disclosures of various persons.

The total proceeds of crime in the case have been arrived to be at Rs 5,063 crore till now.

ED had earlier attached immovable properties worth Rs 537 crore of Trikar Group, Carnoustie Group and Shivalik Group. With this attachment, the total attachments in this case reached Rs 596 crore.

ED had initiated a money-laundering investigation on the basis of various FIRs filed by homebuyers against Unitech Group and its promoters.