Zakir Naik's 'aide' denies charges of money laundering

Abdul Kadir Najmudin Sathak, an alleged aide of Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, on Wednesday denied that he helped the controversial televangelist with money laundering.

Sathak, a jeweller, was arrested on Friday under the Prevention of Money Laundering (PMLA).

He is accused of helping Naik by transferring "funds of dubious origin from the UAE (United Arab Emirates) to facilitate production and broadcasting of incriminating videos for spreading communal hatred and radicalisation of a particular community".

In his bail plea before special PMLA judge M S Azmi, filed after he was sent in judicial custody, Sathak said there was nothing to show that he "acquired or dealt with any property" obtained through crime.

READ: ED Moves Bombay High Court Against PMLA Tribunal's Order On Zakir Naik

He also claimed to be suffering from Myasthenia gravis a long-term neuromuscular disease. The Enforcement Directorate has alleged that Sathak sent about Rs 50 crore to Naik, which the latter illegally routed and laundered.

Sathak was the director of Global Broadcasting Corporation FZE LLC that owned Naik's Peace TV channel, it said.

The Central agency alleged that Global Broadcasting was "controlled" by Naik (who is stated to be in Malaysia now), through Sathak, his "trusted aide".

Naik has been under investigation since 2016, when the Centre banned his Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) for five years. 

Earlier in January, the Bombay High Court had issued a notice to Zakir Naik's Islamic Research Foundation following a petition filed by the Enforcement Directorate over proceedings related to attachment of properties belonging to him and his organisation.

The ED, through its counsel advocate Hiten Venegaonkar, has filed a plea in the high court, challenging among other things, a last year's order of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Appellate Tribunal in New Delhi.

In its order, the Tribunal had stayed all attachment proceedings initiated by the ED against Naik and IRF until the central agency filed its reply, and submitted a copy of the NIA's charge sheet filed against Naik in a case under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), and also a copy of such speeches made by him that the probe agencies had alleged were "objectionable."

READ: ED Attaches Assets Worth Rs 16.40 Crore Of Zakir Naik's Family Under PMLA