New Delhi: Long admirer of Maoism and the Chinese Communist Party, American businessman Neville Roy Singham has been at the centre of controversy over the past few months, for allegedly funding the spread of Chinese propaganda across the globe. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has accused Singham of being online news portal NewsClick’s “China link”.
The Delhi Police Tuesday arrested NewsClick’s editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha and Human Resources head Amit Chakraborty.
In its remand application, the Delhi Police Special cell has referred to Singham as an accused while the ED has called him a “close confidant” of Purkayastha.
Over the past few years, Singham established an ‘influence campaign that defends China and pushes its propaganda’ by funding various non-profit groups, media organisations, think tanks and more, revealed a New York Times investigation in August this year. This investigation brought to public attention Singham’s alleged links to China as well as NewsClick.
According to the report, Singham, an activist, has backed numerous groups over the years after selling his tech consultancy in 2017. These groups include No Cold War, Code Pink, Massachusetts-based think tank Tricontinental, a South African political party, US YouTube channels and non-profits in Ghana and Zambia. However, this report claimed that through his funding, he influenced groups to “echo Chinese government talking points” and push a pro-authoritarian narrative.
Code Pink is a feminist anti-war organisation co-founded by Singham’s wife Jodie Evans that initially condemned China’s human rights violations against Uyghur Muslims but now defends their captivity.
The Shanghai-based businessman and founder of technology consultancy ‘ThoughtWorks’ is a “close confidant” of NewsClick’s Purkayastha, according to ED documents.
Citing emails and corporate filings, the New York Times claimed that NewsClick, funded by Singham, had been incorporating “Chinese government talking points” into its coverage. It also said that Singham was funding Massachusetts-based think tank Tricontinental, headed by Marxist historian and journalist Vijay Prashad, whose experts contributed to NewsClick.
NewsClick has been at the centre of controversy ever since, with numerous agencies such as the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and the ED alleging that Singham funded journalists to “promote Leftist ideology” and enhance China’s image, ThePrint had earlier reported.
Investigators also claimed that Singham exchanged incriminating emails about China with journalists, activists, and several Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leaders.
Also read: Delhi Police raids homes of journalists, others following fresh FIR against NewsClick under UAPA
‘Marxist with a software company’
Born in 1954 in the US to Sri Lankan political scientist and historian Archibald Singham, Neville Roy Singham had always admired the Communist and Marxist ideology. His father was also linked with the ‘China faction’ of the communist movement, the Ceylon Communist Party, in Sri Lanka, according to media reports.
At a young age, Singham became a member of the League of Revolutionary Black Workers, a Mao-influenced group based in Detroit, Michigan, which opposed racist policies and promoted revolutionary unionism to overthrow capitalism. In 1972, at the age of 18, he worked at the Detroit Chrysler plant.
After attending Howard University, Singham founded the technology consultancy Thoughtworks in 1993, aimed at providing software design and consulting services, show media reports. The company grew significantly over the years, expanding to 17 countries, working with businesses as well as taking on pro bono work for groups such as the news organisation Democracy Now! and the Grameen Foundation. Eventually, he sold Thoughtworks to Apax, a British private equity fund in 2017 for $785 million.
ED investigators have alleged that Singham not only financed NewsClick but also exchanged incriminating emails about China with Purkayastha, as well as other journalists, activists, and several Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders.
According to an ED source, these emails revolved around updates from China, coverage of CPI(M) in China, news of anti-China feeling in India, restriction of investments and imports from China, the CPI(M)’s victory in local body elections in Kerala, praise for the Chinese government, and tributes by the CPI(M) to Mao Zedong.
Sources also claimed that Purkayastha and Singham also exchanged a Chinese map where Arunachal Pradesh was shown as part of the neighbouring country. “This shows their intentions.”
One of the many organisations claimed to have links with Singham is the Massachusetts-based think tank ‘Tricontinental’, headed by Prashad who is also nephew of CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat.
The two share a long history, with Prashad observing in an article on Newsclick that the American businessman’s father Archibald Singham influenced him significantly. In 2021, he called Singham ‘a Marxist with a massive software company’ that helped fund ‘Tricontinental’.
Fortuitously, Roy built a remarkable software company, which is when I first met him – a Marxist with a massive software company! He sold that company a few years ago and decided to give away all the money toward political education for a new generation of radicals. pic.twitter.com/ytNXXqgtPr
— Vijay Prashad (@vijayprashad) December 21, 2021
The ED investigation also found incriminating emails between Singham and senior CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat, Prashad’s uncle.
How Singham ‘funded’ NewsClick
The value of the shares of PPK Newsclick Studio — a loss-making newly incorporated company with a nominal face value of Rs 10 per share — was allegedly artificially enhanced by fixing a premium of Rs 11,510 per share. This manipulation was allegedly done to create an impression of authenticity for the foreign direct investment, ThePrint had earlier reported.
According to sources, the funds that were received by NewsClick originated from Worldwide Media Holdings LLC, USA, a Delaware Limited Liability company. This entity was incorporated by an associate of Neville Roy Singham, who initially infused capital into it and then through it, channeled the funds to NewsClick in India, they said.
Worldwide Media Holdings’ source of funds was eventually traced to China-based Singham, ED sources claimed.
According to sources, Amit Chakraborty, a shareholder of NewsClick, said in his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) that Singham is the ultimate owner of the funds received from the Justice and Education Fund, USA, and GSPAN LLC, USA — companies through which money was coming to NewsClick.
NewsClick itself, the source claimed, was created to upload “anti-national news” at the behest of Singham.
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)
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