CBI quizzes Derek O'Brien in Saradha chit fund case

Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials on Friday in connection with the probe into the Saradha chit fund scam, a CBI officer said.

The senior Trinamool leader was summoned by the CBI to join the probe into the multi crore ponzi scam by the first week of August, but O'Brien had said that he would appear after the monsoon session of the Parliament got over.

He appeared before the central agency's Kolkata office at around 1.30 p.m. on Friday. 

According to CBI sources, O'Brien has been summoned to seek clarification over certain transactions recorded in the bank accounts of Trinamool's mouthpiece, 'Jago Bangla'. The Trinamool leader is the publisher of the newspaper.

Following the CBI notice last month, O'Brien had put up a tweet, hinting that the summon by the central agency was politically motivated as the notice was issued to him at almost the same time when his party brought up the motion to oppose the amendments to the RTI Act in the Rajya Sabha.

"Jago Bangla is Trinamool's official newspaper. Publisher: Derek O'Brien. Editor Subrata Bakshi was summoned by CBI a month ago to seek clarifications. Now, publisher served a notice at 2 p.m. July 25. Trinamool Motion in RS (Rajya Sabha) to oppose amendments to RTI Act started at 2 p.m., July 25," he had tweeted. IANS