Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy on Monday accused Congress President Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi of cheating and criminal conspiracy in the National Herald case, reported PTI. Swamy, who recorded his statement before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal in Delhi, is the main complainant in the case.

In his private criminal complaint, Swamy alleged that the Gandhis had provided an interest-free loan of Rs 90.25 crore to Associated Journals Limited, publisher of three newspapers, including the National Herald, and transferred the debt to a company called Young India Limited for Rs 50 lakh.

“The transfer of the properties of AJL to the control of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi by a series of steps amounted to criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, criminal misappropriation of properties and cheating,” he said in his statement on Monday.

Advocates appearing for the Gandhis opposed the allegations and said his claims were all “hearsay and speculative”. Apart from the Gandhis, the other accused in the case include Motilal Vora, Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda. They have all refuted the allegations.