POLICE have yet to receive any request from India to extradite telecommunications tycoon T. Ananda Krishnan, who is among several charged by India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for alleged bribery over a Aircel-Maxis deal.

Inspector-General of Police Fuzi Harun said he was aware of the matter but added Malaysian police were not involved in seeking one of the country’s richest men.

“We are aware of the case. But this is an old issue – we are not the ones investigating or assisting in the matter.

“It is being handled by another agency,” Fuzi said today.

The Malaysian Insight is attempting to reach the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission for comment on the case.

Ananda and his aide, Ralph Marshall, were named in a charge by India’s CBI for alleged bribery in the Aircel-Maxis deal, the Times of India reported.

Ananda, one of Malaysia’s richest people, owns a majority stake in Maxis. 

Maxis shares were down 10 sen this morning following news of the charge.

Ten other local politicians and government officials were charged, including Congress leader P. Chidambaram and his son, Karti.

The charge concerned abuse of power by Chidambaram, who was India’s finance minister when Maxis applied to India’s Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) for approval to buy a stake in Aircel in 2006.

Chidambaram approved Maxis’ investment of Rs3,200 crore (RM1.9 billion) when he was only authorised to clear amounts not more than Rs600 crore.

A summons was issued against Ananda by India’s Supreme Court in January last year over the same deal.

In February this year, it was reported that Aircel filed for bankruptcy with India’s National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) after attempts by Ananda to inject a cash infusion failed.

Aircel was said to have been negotiating with lenders since last year over a Rs15,500 crore (RM9.48 billion) debt.

In April, India’s The Economic Times reported that Ananda was able to pump in around Rs95 crore (RM56.42 million) to pay employees’ salaries at Aircel and meet other expenses for about 1½ years, pending appointments by the NCLT to commence the corporate insolvency resolution process. – July 20, 2018.