Q-Net on Going Penal: -Cases across the world

In March 2006 Vijay Eswaran, and his business partners Joseph Bismark, Tagumpay Kintanar
and Donna Marie Imson were accused of allegedly defrauding two Filipinos of more than
$100,000 in a Gold Quest pyramid scheme. They were charged before the Quezon City Regional
Trial Court of syndicated estafa, which was a non-bailable offence on the basis of a criminal
complaint. In April 2006 Judge Bayani Vargas ordered the issuance of arrest warrants against
the four accused. The Department of Justice, Office of the City Prosecutor later dropped the
charges following a Jakarta courts dismissal of the extradition request from the National Bureau
of Investigation and citing it to be a civil liability and not a criminal case.
In May 2007[17] a dispute in Manila, Philippines filed by two former partners of the original
founding team escalated to an alleged 'offence' leading to an Interpol Red alert listing the four
directors. Interpol put out a warrant for their arrest and the case was fought out substantially in
the courts of Manila and Jakarta. The Goldquest executives had asked the Philippines Supreme
Court to stop the Quezeon City Regional Court trial pending resolution of a petition for review.
[18]
 After three weeks, Indonesian courts released Vijay Eswaran; a Manila court dismissed the
charge soon afterward.[19]
A 2003 charge against Gold Quest for its fraudulent activities in Chennai, India, reached the
Supreme Court, which in 2014 allowed the quashing of the proceedings. [20] The Supreme Court
appointed a one-man commission, a retired Judge of the Madras High Court, to settle all
legitimate claims of around 200 depositors.[21]
In 2009 money circulation charges were brought against Gold Quest by Tamil Nadu police. The
Chennai Enforcement Directorate, attached Gold Quest properties worth 150 crore to the case
under Prevention of Money Laundering Act.[22][23][24] Though there is a Red Corner notice pending
against Eswaran, he is yet to be arrested and brought to India. [25] In an interview about the
charges, Vijay Eswaran has denied any wrongdoing, and dismissed the claims as being
indicative of corruption and poor journalistic standards in India. Qnet has also stated that Vijay
Eswaran is neither director, nor shareholder of Qnet's franchise in India (Vihaan Direct Selling
Pvt. Ltd.).[26]
In August 2013, Times of India reported that Vijay Eswaran was being investigated by the
Economic Offences wing in regards to Qnet, which he founded.[27] The Economic Offences Wing
issued lookout notice against Eswaran and a few others, after he failed to appear before the
authorities for questioning.[28][29] Police have frozen six of Qnet's bank accounts in the country.
[30]
 QNet has refuted the allegations fully in stating that its operations are legal, compliant and
transparent.[31]
In 2014 the Enforcement Directorate in 2014 has alleged money laundering against Vijay
Eswaran and his company Qnet.[32] This allegation has been refuted by both the company QNet
and Vijay Eswaran.[26][33][34]
In 2016, after 3 years of probe, the Economic Offences Wing of the Mumbai Police issues
lookout notices against 30 people in connection with the Qnet Scam.[35] As founder of Qnet, Vijay
Eswaran was featured as the key accused in the case. [36]
In 2017, Justice DP Surana of the Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors (MPID) court
said that prima facie the business of Qnet in India, was not legal.[37] However the Supreme Court
granted conditional bail to Michael Ferreira and Malcolm Nozer Desai on the condition they do
not leave India, shareholders of Vihaan Direct Selling Pvt Ltd, a franchise of Qnet in India. Both
were directed to cooperate with the investigations. The court also called a halt on all legal
proceedings related to the 19 first information reports filed by the police in 2013. [38][39]
In February 2018 Qnet was prosecuted for fraud and forgery at trial court of Labe, Somalia.
[40]
 Later that year spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janta Party called out Ex-Chief Minister
of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, for meeting with Vijay Eswaran, whom he referred to as a "declared
absconder", during the World Economic Forum in China, in 2013.[41][42][43][44]