ED files prosecution complaint against AP officer Metta Appanna

Vishakapatnam: The sleuths of Enforcement Directorate have filed a prosecution complaint before a special (PMLA) Court, against Officer Metta Appanna, the then Executive Engineer of Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) and others in a disproportionate assets case.

The ED’s prosecution complaint has been filed with a prayer for awarding punishment to the accused for offence of money laundering and confiscation of attached properties worth Rs 58.54 lakhs ( this includes Rs 54.10 lakh and movable properties worth Rs 4.44 lakh).

The ED began investigation based on a charge-sheet filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Visakhapatnam under sections 13 (2) read with 13 (1) (e) of the Prevention of the Corruption Act, 1988 against Metta Appanna.

Investigation revealed that Metta Appanna has acquired wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income to the tune of Rs 84.88 lakhs. The money was parked in form of movable and immovable properties in the name of himself,wife, son and his relatives.

During investigations under PMLA, Metta Appanna and others failed to substantiate their sources of income to acquire these movable and immovable properties establishing that the said properties were sourced from the

During investigation, it was also established that accused had layered the proceeds of crime in the form of movable and immovable assets to portray them as untainted assets.

To recall, the ACB sleuths raided his premises the of two AP government officials and unearthed illegal assets to the tune of Rs 1.70 crore. The other accused was T.Etheeshwar, town planning officer, working in Bheemavaram municipal of west Godavari. A case under disproportionate of assets was booked against the two officers.