‘Private firms involved, no summons request received’: MEA on Adani group executives summoned in US

NEW DELHI: The External Affairs ministry on Friday rebuffed reports by a section of the media, which claimed that US prosecutors had issued summons for Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani and others in an alleged bribery case. The MEA said India has not received any official request from the US on summons or arrest.

In a media briefing in the national capital today, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “This is a legal matter involving private firms and individuals and the US Department of Justice. There are established procedures and legal avenues in such cases which we believe would be followed. The Government of India was not informed in advance of the issue. We haven’t had any conversation also about this matter with the US government…”

“Any request by a foreign government for the service of a summons/arrest warrant is part of mutual legal assistance. Such requests are examined on merits. We have not received any request on this case from the US side. This a matter which pertains to private entities and Government of India, is not legally a part of it in any manner, at this point in time”, the MEA spokesperson said.

#WATCH | Delhi: On the Adani indictment issue, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, “This is a legal matter involving private firms and individuals and the US Department of Justice. There are established procedures and legal avenues in such cases which we believe would be… pic.twitter.com/w8CCLqU660

— ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2024

Reports of summons had surfaced in the media after a five-count criminal indictment was unsealed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, charging prominent Indian executives, including chairman of the Adani Group, Gautam Adani, by linking them to an alleged bribery and fraud scheme.

On November 27, the Adani Group refuted the bribery allegations made by the US Department of Justice and the US Securities and Exchange Commission against the Group’s founder and Chairman Gautam Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani and MD CEO Adani Green Energy Vineet Jaain, in a filing with the stock exchanges.

In its filing, AGEL has cited news reporting on the alleged bribery and corruption charges against Adani Officials as ‘Incorrect’. “Media articles which state that certain of our directors namely Gautam Adani, Sagar Adani and Vneet aain have been charged with violation(s) of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in the indictment. Such statements are incorrect”, said the statement by Adani Green Energy Ltd.

“Gautam Adani, Sagar Adani and Vneet Jaain have not been charged with any violation of the FCPA in the counts set forth in the indictment of the US DOJ or civil complaint of the US SEC,” it added. In a legal indictment, count refers to individual charges against a defendant.

The filing stated that, the DoJ Indictment, which has five counts, does not have any mention of and has excluded Gautam Adani, Sagar Adani or Vneet Jaain in Count One: ”Conspiracy to Violate the FCPA’; neither does it have mention of these three names in Count Five: “Conspiracy to obstruct justice.” (ANI)