New Delhi: Only days after showering praises on Gautam Adani, Chairman of Adani Group, Australian former Prime Minister Tony Abbott once again surfaced in media to thank Adani for having faith in Australia", NDTV reported.
In an interview with NDTV, Abbott rejected all the allegations against the corporate tycoon, levelled by US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research. The ex-PM said that regulators would study the matter.
He then said that it was easy to make allegations, but allegations do not need to be true. According to principles of common law, one is innocent until proven guilty, he said.
"It's easy to make allegations. Just because something has been alleged doesn't make it true. My recollection of the principles of the common law is you're innocent until proven guilty," he said he was quoted by NDTV.
But as far as I am concerned, I am grateful for the faith Adani group has shown in Australia," he told NDTV and cited that Adani had invested millions of dollars in Australia.
Going all praise for the Adani Group, who was alleged of committing stock manipulation and accounting fraud using a number of offshore shell companies to inflate stock prices, Abbott lauded the conglomerate for creating job as well as wealth in Australia. He also mentioned the Narendra Modi government's efforts to electrify Indian lands with Australian coal. The coal is imported without any tariffs, he said.
"Well, obviously, as someone who very much supported Adani mining in central Queensland, am very delighted that Adani coal is now coming to India to help with electrification of the country because you can't have a modern life without 24x7 electricity. That's what Australian coal from Adani mining is helping to provide, as a result of that deal that our government finalised late last year," Mr Abbott told NDTV.