New Delhi [India], September 15 (ANI): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has reviewed its internal case management system, among other key issues, in its 32nd Quarterly Conference of Zonal Officers (QCZO). It emphasised the need to complete data entry within a month.

ED's headquarters was further directed to organise training for officers if required.
One of the important issues discussed during the two-day conference, conducted on 12th and 13th September in Srinagar, was the fast-tracking of trial under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) cases.
Chaired by the agency's Director Rahul Navin, the QCZO discussions also noted that PMLA prosecutions are linked to the progress of the predicate offence, and the delays or adverse outcomes in those cases affect PMLA trials.
ED Director reviewed the statistics and directed Zonal Heads to expedite pending investigations, ensure filing of final prosecution complaints, and make all possible efforts to fast-track trials in the presence of all Special Directors, Additional Directors, Joint Directors and the Deputy and Assistant Legal Advisors.
Following the observations from the Hon'ble Supreme Court Bench during the review of the Vijay Madanlal Chaudhary judgement regarding establishing exclusive Special Courts for PMLA, it was noted that letters were sent to registrars of all Chief Justices for consideration of the proposal of establishing exclusive PMLA courts.
Nonetheless, it was noted that in the cases decided on merit by the Special Courts, the agency has in fact secured convictions in 50 out of 53 cases, with a conviction rate of over 94 per cent, which could be the highest among all agencies in India and globally.
Further, it was acknowledged that ED has also been able to successfully restitute assets worth more than Rs 34,000 Crore to victims and legitimate claimants.
The conference also highlighted the challenges in valuing, possessing, and disposing of properties, as well as the need for reforms. There was deliberation on amendments to existing guidelines, adoption of the BAANKNET platform for transparent auctions, and the possibility of the establishment of a dedicated Asset Management Unit and Asset Recovery Fund.
The need to resolve conflicts between the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) and PMLA through coordinated guidelines with IBBI and the resolution of legacy NCLT cases was also underlined. It was also discussed that cases wherein provisions of the IBC were being misused may be identified. It was urged that FEMA investigations be pursued with greater seriousness and the closure of old FERA adjudication cases without further delay was also stressed.
The strong cases being investigated in several zones were acknowledged by the conference, and it was decided that investigation methods and case compilations would be systematically consolidated.
Attention was drawn to the upcoming challenge of illegal platforms following the ban, calling for focused strategies to address it.
The need for revisions to circulars and manuals, as well as shifting the case management to a more robust platform, and greater use of the e-Office system, were discussed.
All senior officers were sensitised to uphold preventive vigilance and reaffirm ED's core values of integrity, accountability, commitment and excellence.
Stressing the importance of restitution to victims, the target of achieving Rs 15,000 crore restitution this financial year was stressed, noting the substantial increase in Sahara restitution following ED's investigative efforts.
Finally, on the discussion of administration matters, it was noted that ED has significantly strengthened its infrastructure with major acquisitions and approvals, including land at BKC Mumbai for a unified complex, new zonal offices at Bhubaneswar, Patna, and Raipur, refurbishment of the Kolkata office, and securing new office spaces at Jalandhar, Dehradun, Shillong, Kochi, Ahmedabad, and Chandigarh.
It was discussed that within the next three to four years, ED would endeavour to establish all its offices on self-owned premises.
The conference concluded with a call for strengthened inter-zonal coordination, forward-looking action points, and a reaffirmed commitment to uphold the statutory framework against money laundering, foreign exchange violations, and other economic offences. (ANI)