Pune-based businessman Hasan Ali allegedly paid Rs 43 lakh as tariff to Oberoi Hotel in Singapore for two rooms booked for him and his business associate Kashinath Tapuriah in 1997. The two stayed at the hotel for 10 months during which accounts were opened in UBS and money was transferred into them,officials claimed. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) will present these and other facts before the Supreme Court in its status report on Monday. While the agency is yet to establish the alleged terror link of Ali with Adnan Khashoggi,the report will highlight the three transactions made by Ali,Tapuriah and Congress worker Amalendu Pandey in December 1997 at UBS Singapore. Pandey,whose houses were raided by ED officials,is on the run. The agency claimed to have found the accounts details,Alis contact and a fax number of UBS Singapore from his diary,which are part of the report. ED officials said the names of two Indians based in Singapore K Vishwanath and S C Sharma are also under the scanner. The agency believes Ali posed as a relative of the Nizam of Hyderabad and helped the two businessman. Investigation revealed that Ali,during his early days,came in contact with one Hassan Suleman Baig in Hyderabad,who is learnt to have the power of attorney of the famous jewellery of the Nizam. These rights were later transferred to Ali who is alleged to have sold some jewellery to Singapore-based businessmen. The two Indians named by him helped him initially in disposing of the jewellery but later parted ways. We will need to examine these new facts and seek more time from the Supreme Court to complete the probe, said a senior ED official. The ED has also identified some other groups in Singapore who are alleged to have bought jewellery from Ali,who dealt in antiques. Tapuriah,who is still in ED custody,has been confronted with the statements made by Ali. Tapuriah allegedly posed as a top industrialist man during their visit in 1997. Pandey,officials said,was paid by Ali and his associates for helping to open the bank accounts and getting him a fake passport. Pandey is also alleged to have driven Ali to Kathmandu from Patna in December 1997 from where the duo flew to Singapore. For his service,Ali and his associates paid a hefty sum to Pandey and even bought him a house at Gautam Nagar in south Delhi. The status report will also contains details of raids carried out at Pandeys houses in Delhi and Patna. Pandey is also alleged to have also forged an MEA letter to expedite the passport of Ali. The role of the wives of Ali and Tapuriah Rheema Khan and Chandrika Tapuriah is also under scanner,ED sources said.
