Kolkata, Feb 5 (IANS) Notices have been served on 17 Indians suspected of having stashed black money in tax havens abroad but it will not be possible to reveal their names as yet, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said here Saturday.
"We have received a few names. We have already served notices on 17 persons and prosecution has begun," Mukherjee told reporters here.
"But the government suo motu can't reveal the names. According to the treaty, we can only use the information for taxation purposes."
He said the names would be revealed in court when the matter comes up for prosecution.
Mukherjee's remarks come against the backdrop of his statement last month that secrecy clauses in treaties with other countries were preventing the government from disclosing the names of Indians with black money abroad, estimated at $462 billion to $1.4 trillion.
"We have nothing to hide. But there are legal provisions," he had said in New Delhi Jan 25, called at the behest of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to clarify the government position on black money and steps taken to bring it back.
Mukherjee had also said the government had submitted the names of some suspected offenders in a sealed cover to the Supreme Court, which asked the executive to be more serious on black money as it constituted a plunder of the nation's wealth.
Comment on this article
Lydia Lobo, Kadri
Sat, Feb 05 2011All those you who blame Congress for this revelation, must remember that each and every politician gets kick-back from one or the other deal whether or not s/he likes no matter which party s/he belongs to. Businessmen who want their deals approved, deposit money in foreign accounts as a gift (which is otherwise called bribe) for approving certain document. Let us stop playing blame game and demand that this money be brought into the country and used to develop BPL population that is much beyond our imagination in number.
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harish, mangalore
Sat, Feb 05 2011Mr.Mukherjee,
r u puppet ? this is shame for u & u r govt. U know very well .what about the Great Thelagi.
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Syed Mohiddin Saheb, Sastan / Muscat
Sat, Feb 05 2011"We have nothing to hide. But there are legal provisions," Actually there are political committments/obligations that is why cannot reveal the names
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George Borromeo, Pumpwell, Angelore, Mangalore
Sat, Feb 05 2011Government should not treat these street smart treacherous Persons with kid glove. They should be treated as "Desh Drohi's".
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BOB, Mangalore
Sat, Feb 05 2011Look at the dollar amount- Stagerring- why are these people not yet procecuted. Looting India should remind us of taglaq, Portugese and the Spaniards- just awaful.
Of the 18 people , one is dead Hmmm let us guess who that is? may be someone whose last name ends with GANDHI ( i am not referring to the MAHATHMA) .
shame on the corrupt sysyem which has encouraged this behavoiur of off shoring money
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KRPrabhu, Mangalore
Sat, Feb 05 2011Piline bududu yeline patti lekka aand.
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