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RDBA, SARFAESI, IBC DOESN'T PREVAIL OVER PMLA: Delhi High Court

Team SoOLEGAL 4 Apr 2019 3:57pm

RDBA, SARFAESI, IBC DOESN'T PREVAIL OVER PMLA: Delhi High Court

The Appellate Tribunal had held that Recovery of Debts and Bankruptcy Act, SARFAESI Act and Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code of India prevail over relevant statutory provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The Delhi High Court considered appeals against this holding.

It was observed by Justice RK Gauba that the construction and enforcement of such laws should be done in a manner that it does not derogate the others with respect to the assets which there is material available to show the same to have been "derived or obtained" as a result of "criminal activity relating to a scheduled offence" and consequently being "proceeds of crime", within the mischief of PMLA.

The High Court disagreed with the Appellate Tribunal's view and observed that the process of attachment (leading to confiscation) of proceeds of crime under PMLA is in the nature of civil sanction which runs parallel to investigation and criminal action vis-a-vis the offence of money-laundering. The empowered enforcement officer has the authority of law in PMLA to attach not only a "tainted property" - that is to say a property acquired or obtained, directly or indirectly, from proceeds of criminal activity constituting a scheduled offence - but also any other asset or property of equivalent value of the offender of money laundering, the latter not bearing any taint but being alternative attachable property (or deemed tainted property) on account of its link or nexus with the offence (or offender) of money-laundering, the court said. 
Some of the observations made by the bench are as follows:

The empowered enforcement officer has the authority of law in PMLA to attach not only a "tainted property" - that is to say a property acquired or obtained, directly or indirectly, from proceeds of criminal activity constituting a scheduled offence - but also any other asset or property of equivalent value of the offender of money laundering, the latter not bearing any taint but being alternative attachable property (or deemed tainted property) on account of its link or nexus with the offence (or offender) of money-laundering. If the "tainted property" respecting which there is evidence available to show the same to have been derived or obtained as a result of criminal activity relating to a scheduled offence is not traceable, or the same for some reason cannot be reached, or to the extent found is deficient, the empowered enforcement officer may attach any other asset ("the alternative attachable property" or "deemed tainted property") of the person accused of (or charged with) offence of money-laundering provided it is near or equivalent in value to the former, the order of confiscation being restricted to take over by the government of illicit gains of crime. If the person accused of (or charged with) the offence of money-laundering objects to the attachment, his claim being that the property attached was not acquired or obtained (directly or indirectly) from criminal activity, the burden of proving facts in support of such claim is to be discharged by him.

The bench observed the following concerning the right of a third party in the properties attached under PMLA:

1. The charge or encumbrance of a third party in a property attached under PMLA cannot be treated or declared as "void" unless material is available to show that it was created "to defeat" the said law, such declaration rendering such property available for attachment and confiscation under PMLA, free from such encumbrance. 
2. If it is shown by cogent evidence by the bonafide third party claimant (as aforesaid), staking interest in an alternative attachable property (or deemed tainted property) claiming that it had acquired the same at a time anterior to the commission of the proscribed criminal activity, the property to the extent of such interest of the third party will not be subjected to confiscation so long as the charge or encumbrance of such third party subsists, the attachment under PMLA being valid or operative subject to satisfaction of the charge or encumbrance of such third party and restricted to such part of the value of the property as is in excess of the claim of the said third party. 
3. If the order confirming the attachment has attained finality, or if the order of confiscation has been passed, or if the trial of a case under Section 4 PMLA has commenced, the claim of a party asserting to have acted bonafide or having legitimate interest in the nature mentioned above will be inquired into and adjudicated upon only by the special court.



Tagged: Delhi High Court   SARFAESI   Recovery of Debts and Bankruptcy Act   Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code of India  
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