Panaji: The directorate of enforcement (ED), Goa, on Friday provisionally attached three immovable properties with a total market value of Rs 6.3 crore in connection with an alleged money laundering investigation against Estevan D’Souza and others in a land grab case. With the present attachment, the total value of properties attached in the case stands at over Rs 78 crore.ED attached the properties under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.ED initiated the investigation on the basis of FIRs registered by Goa police at Porvorim police station and the economic offences cell (EOC), Goa, under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code, relating to criminal conspiracy, cheating, impersonation and forgery.The investigation revealed that Estevan D’Souza, Moses Fernandes and Mohammed Suhail, in criminal conspiracy with others, fraudulently grabbed several immovable properties in Goa by impersonating original owners and using forged documents such as fake sale deeds, fabricated identity credentials and forged power of attorney, ED said.“The accused persons also induced buyers and collected money by fraudulently executing sale deeds and agreements in respect of these illegally acquired properties,” ED said.ED also filed a prosecution complaint against Estevan D’Souza and others before the special court (PMLA), Goa, for the offence of money laundering arising out of the said scheduled offences. The court took cognisance of the prosecution complaint, and the matter is presently under trial.The ED investigation revealed that the accused fraudulently mutated three additional immovable properties in the names of their family members using forged documents, and such properties constitute proceeds of crime.“These properties, with an aggregate value of Rs 6.3 crore, are now provisionally attached as they represent direct proceeds of crime,” ED said.
