CBI summons Derek O'Brien in relation to TMC mouthpiece funding

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien has been summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the agency’s probe on the funding of party’s mouthpiece Jago Bangla, the MP revealed in a tweet on Friday.

“JagoBangla is Trinamool’s official newspaper. Publisher: Derek O’Brien. Editor Subrata Bakshi was summoned by CBI a (few) months ago to seek clarifications. Now, publisher served notice at 2 pm July 25. Trinamool Motion in RS to oppose amendments to RTI Act started at 2 pm July 25,” O’Brien wrote on Twitter at 8.55 pm on Friday.

The inquiry about Jago Bangla’s funding is being conducted as part of the CBI’s investigation into the Rose Valley ponzi scam.

In January, CBI officers visited the resident of septuagenarian Manik Majumdar, who takes care of the TMC office at Mamata Banerjee’s residence and is one of the signatories of Jago Bangla’s bank account to inquire from him about the source of funds of Jago Bangla.

“There are reasons to suspect that the proceeds from the sales of Mamata Banerjee’s paintings went to Jago Bangla’s fund,” said a CBI inspector who is aware of the development of the Rose Valley investigation.

He requested anonymity for not being authorised to speak to the media.

The Rose Valley scam estimated at Rs 17,000 core is the biggest gonzo scam in Bengal in terms of the money involved, during the high profile Saradha scam that is estimated to involve about Rs 2,400 core.

In the previous Lok Sabha, TMC leader Sudip Banerjee was arrested in January 2017 in connection with the Rose Valley scam.