Following directions to the Central Bureau of Investigation from the Patna High Court, a team of ED officials is set to question Sharma early next week. The ED is learnt to have prepared a questionnaire based on information gleaned from Income Tax officials' interrogation report.

Sources revealed that a status report prepared by the CBI's East unit, which mentions Sharma's name in connection with hawala transactions in the Bihar fodder scam, have also been made available to the ED for further probe. An Additional Director in the ED is handling the Sharma case.

The ED is also trying to decipher what a senior official describes as a ``bewildering maze'' of transactions recorded on the floppy discs seized during the raids on Sharma's homes and offices.

Sharma's penchant for imported vehicles, particularly top-of-the-line jeeps, might lead him into trouble since the NSA detainee has, so far, been unable to credibly explain how he paid for them.

The authorities have so far seized 15 cars from Sharma's home and farmhouse. These include a Pajero, two E class Mercedes Benz, a 316 series BMW, an Audi, a Cynos sports coupe, two Honda Accords and a Chevrolet. Sharma had a total of 12 foreign cars besides, several Indian cars. The Pajero and Mercedes Benz are said to have cost more than Rs 30 lakh each.

Two south Delhi-based car-dealers, who reportedly sold him a majority of the cars, are being questioned. It is understood that the ED had been tipped off about Sharma's links with the car dealers even before he was arrested.

While being questioned by the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police, Sharma has claimed that all the cars were ``gifts'' from his ``admirers''. Interestingly, while playing possum on the funding of his luxury purchases, Sharma is said to have been ``extremely cooperative'' about his links with politicians. He has offered to make a clean breast of his ``hawala transactions'' on behalf of some well-known politicians.