Kerala Lottery Scam: ED attaches Santiago Martin's immovable assets worth Rs 19.59 Cr

Enforcement Directorate on Thursday provisionally attached assets of 'Lottery king' Santiago Martin's immovable assets in connection with the lottery scam. The total attachment has reached up to Rs 277.59 crores. The ED is continuing the investigation. He had cheated the Sikkim government to the tune of Rs 4,500 crore.

New Delhi:Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday provisionally attached 'Lottery King' Santiago Martin's immovable assets worth Rs 19.59 crore in connection with a lottery scam. It had earlier attached properties worth Rs 258 crore of the businessman. With the present attachment, the total attachment in the case has reached to Rs 277.59 crore.

According to an ED official, the attached properties consist of various immovable properties in the form of vacant lands located in Tamil Nadu.

Earlier, Anti-Corruption Bureau Kochi and the federal probe agency CBI had filed a charge sheet against the accused under sections 120-B, 420 read with sections 4(d), 4(f), 7 (3), 9 of Lotteries (Regulation) Act, and 3 (5), 4 (5) of lotteries regulation rules, 2010. Later, the ED also initiated the money laundering probe against the accused.

It was mentioned in the charge sheet that the accused Santiago cheated the Sikkim government to the tune of Rs 4,500 crore. The accused caused this huge loss to the government through the sale of Sikkim lotteries in Kerala.

The money was allegedly distributed among 72 persons, including Sikkim government officials, with the help of 15 middlemen.

During the course of investigation, the federal probe agency found that the partners of Ms. M.J. Associates, Santiago Martin and N. Jayamurugan, made an unlawful gain with a corresponding loss to the Sikkim government to the tune of over Rs 900 crore on account of inflating the Prize-Winning Tickets claim for the period between 2009 and 2010, which was nothing but proceeds of crime.

Santiago Martin, his companies and others had invested the parts of the proceeds of crime generated from lottery business in immovable properties through more than 40 companies, which were incorporated in the name of their family members and other associates to project the same as untainted properties.

Santiago Martin, his companies Ms. Future Gaming and Hotel Services Pvt. Ltd., Martin Builders Pvt. Ltd., Daison Land and Development Pvt. Ltd. acquired immovable properties worth Rs 19.59 crore from the loans and advances given by Santiago Martin and his family members.

The ED official said that they are further probing the matter.

IANS