The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday questioned Trinamool Congress national general secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee in connection with its money laundering probe into the alleged primary school recruitment scam, officials said.
Abhishek appeared before the federal agency at its CGO Complex office around 11 am in response to a summons issued in the case. The questioning came a day after he was interrogated for nearly eight-and-a-half hours by the state CID over the alleged forgery of MLAs' signatures on documents related to the appointment of the Leader of Opposition in the Bengal Assembly.
According to an ED official, investigators have prepared around two dozen questions for Abhishek as part of the probe into alleged irregularities in primary teacher recruitment.
"The entire session will be videographed, verified, and cross-checked with other evidence and the versions of other accused persons arrested in this matter," the official told PTI.
The agency is also expected to confront Abhishek with financial documents, digital records and statements from other accused persons as it seeks to trace the alleged proceeds of crime.
"Our focus is on the money trail. Who handled funds, how they moved across accounts and entities, and whether these transactions were layered to conceal their origin," the officer said.
Officials said the ED would seek clarifications on "inconsistencies observed between earlier submissions and fresh materials recovered during searches".
The questioning will additionally examine the role of intermediaries and beneficiary entities identified during forensic analysis.
"We have obtained bank records and communication data indicating the involvement of multiple fronts. Today's examination aims to reconcile those data points with Mr Abhishek's version," the official said.
The ED has already questioned several individuals, including former minister Chandranath Sinha, as part of its ongoing investigation into the alleged recruitment scam.