Bhubaneswar, April 2: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sleuths today interrogated former additional government advocate Debashis Panda in connection with the money laundering scam by Artha Tatwa (AT) Group.

The interrogation followed the order of Orissa High Court last week.

Panda, a lawyer of Enforcement Directorate, arrived at the CBI office at 10.15am and was interrogated for 2 hours and 35 minutes.

"I cannot say anything about the interrogation as the central agency is investigating the case," Panda told the mediapersons after coming out of the office.

Role of Panda came under scanner after former advocate general Ashok Mohanty was arrested on September 22 last year. Panda, who served as the additional government advocate from 2009 to 2014, had signed as a witness in the sale deed of a house purchased by Mohanty from AT Group's chief Pradeep Sethy. The central agency had charged Mohanty of not paying the money to Sethy, therefore misappropriating the company's funds.

CBI officials said that Panda's name figured in the documents seized during raids at the residence of crime branch DSP Pramod Panda who was also arrested in December last year for his alleged links with the group and its chief. The investigating agency had claimed that the seized documents revealed Panda's links with Sethy necessitating a probe into his role.

The CBI had called Panda for questioning in October last year, but the advocate had moved to the high court seeking an anticipatory bail. The court had granted interim protection to Panda and said the central investigating agency couldn't arrest him till the next hearing.

The CBI, so far, has arrested 16 people, including Banki legislator Pravat Tripathy, in connection with the scam.