Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has sealed a flat in Mumbai’s Worli belonging to a businessman, Yaseer Furniturewala, in the COVID field hospital money laundering case as the agency suspects him of unauthorisedly liaising between suppliers of the BMC and senior bureaucrats who were posted in the BMC at the time of the pandemic.
Furniturewala is believed to be close to a couple of senior bureaucrats. The ED also found a diary during the search of a liaison agent’s premises that contained records of payment to several people, among them names some BMC officers.
On Monday, the ED had summoned IAS officer Sanjeev Jaiswal and Shiv Sena (UBT) secretary Suraj Chavan at its Ballard Estate office for questioning in the case. Furniturewala was abroad when the ED officials visited his home for the search on Wednesday. Since the door was locked, the ED sealed the flat so that it can be opened after Futniturewala’s return to record his statement.
The ED is investigating contracts worth over Rs 4,000 crore allotted in the city during the pandemic for COVID-related work. It found that around five liaison agents, all private individuals, played crucial roles in the allotment of most of these contracts. The agency is considering Chavan as one among the five, as he was not holding any political position in the BMC but he had allegedly influenced the contract allotment process.
ED sources said these agents would select contractors of their choice first and then influence the BMC officials to prepare the tender specification as per their criteria and award them the contracts concerned. “Even these agents were connecting points for communication between the BMC officials and the contractors. During the searches, evidence was found indicating illegal payment involving civic officials, middlemen and contractors,” a source said.
Most COVID-related contracts were awarded through the BMC’s central purchase department. In an instance, ED found the same contractor was supplying a vial of Remdesivir to the Directorate of Medical Education and Research at the rate of Rs 3,200 but to the BMC at Rs 4,100.