Days after a UK High Court rejected Vijay Mallya’s written application for permission to appeal an order for his extradition to India, the embattled liquor tycoon Friday held State Bank of India (SBI) accountable for allegedly wasting Indian taxpayers’ money on exorbitant legal fees in the UK.
Days after a UK High Court rejected Vijay Mallya’s written application for permission to appeal an order for his extradition to India, the embattled liquor tycoon Friday held State Bank of India (SBI) accountable for allegedly wasting Indian taxpayers’ money on exorbitant legal fees in the UK.
“SBI Lawyers in U.K. making presentations on their accomplishments against me. Indian Tax payers cost. Despite full recovery in India confirmed by the Prime Minister himself,” Mallya wrote on Twitter earlier this morning.
Along with his statement, the 63-year-old, posted documents, stating, “SBI UK Lawyers in self promotion at Indian public cost. SBI must answer.”
Substantiating his point, the fugitive businessman said his assets in UK were sold and cost of the sale were almost “50 per cent of value”. As for the remaining assets, which are yet to be sold, would not cover the legal costs, Mallya claimed and demanded an answer from SBI.
“To substantiate my point, assets belonging to me in the U.K. were sold and the costs of sale were almost 50 percent of value. The remaining assets yet to be sold won’t cover legal costs. So what’s this all about ? To enrich UK Lawyers? SBI please answer,” Mallya wrote on Twitter.
Reiterating that he had made an offer to pay back 100 per cent to the Indian government, Mallya asked, “Whilst media love sensational headlines, why doesn’t anybody ask the PSU State Bank of India under RTI on how much they are spending on legal fees trying to recover money from me in the UK when I have offered 100 percent payback in India.”
On Thursday, the liquor baron claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an interview, had said that his government recovered more money that he allegedly owed PSU banks and the same banks claimed otherwise in UK courts. “Who does one believe ? One or the other is lying,” Mallya asked.
Mallya is facing charges of cheating, forgery, money laundering and diversion of loan funds, according to the multiple chargesheets filed by the investigative agencies. The ED has alleged that the now defunct Kingfisher Airlines has “diverted” at least Rs 3547 crore of the loan granted to the airlines.