National Herald case: Sonia Gandhi seeks more time to appear before ED

NEW DELHI:  Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who is still suffering from Covid-19, is unlikely to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday and has sought more time from the agency. Party sources said on Tuesday that Sonia, who had tested positive on Thursday, was yet to recover and her latest report was not Covid-negative. 

The ED had summoned Gandhi to appear before it on June 8 in connection with a money laundering case linked to the National Herald newspaper-AJL case. The ED had also summoned Rahul Gandhi on June 13 for questioning in the case. He was earlier asked by the agency to depose on June 2 but the Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad in Kerala sought a fresh date saying he was out of the country. The agency later asked Rahul to appear on June 13 at its headquarters in New Delhi.

Congress leaders had earlier claimed that Sonia was determined to appear before the ED on June 8 provided she recovered from the infection. The case pertains to the probe into the alleged financial irregularities in the party-promoted Young Indian that owns the National Herald newspaper is published by Associated Journals Ltd. Officials said the agency wants to record the statements of Rahul and Sonia under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.