Bribery scam: Hawala operator Raychand Soni was funding Goa casinos too

Mumbai: An officer accused in the million-dollar Goa bribery case has agreed to testify against former Congress Chief Minister Digambar Kamat and minister Churchill Alemao, police sources have said. “Casinos are running because of Soni”, Kirtani added. Pointing out that the offence of conspiracy is not applicable to the applicant as he is doing ordinary business, Sardesai said, “Prosecution does not say that he is the agent of any of the accused“. It is a vital link.

Senior counsel Nitin Sardesai contested the prosecution’s submission stating that Soni paid the amount to witness Sanjay Jindal on request from his friend and another witness in the case Prasanna Shah.

Kamat, along with Rane, former director of mines Arvind Lolayekar, J.B. Bhingi, former mines minister Somnath Zuwarkar, chief conservator of forests Shashi Kumar, other officials as well as mine owner and Nationalist Congress Party office bearer Prafulla Hede had been accused of illegally granting a no objection certificate for a mining lease called “Godoavadea Javaichen Upor and Negnin Buroda” in Sanguem sub district, 80 km from here.

“There is no evidence that I paid the money to the ex-ministers”. Alemao was arrested by the Crime Branch last week in connection with the case.

The Crime Branch had earlier told the court that Kamat allegedly accepted bribe at his official residence here, which was also the venue of several heated discussions and arguments with bureaucrats to clear the deal for the US-based firm.

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has ordered an inquiry into infrastructure contracts allotted to Louis Berger, the US-based construction management firm facing bribery charges to win projects in Goa and Assam. His plea for anticipatory bail comes up for hearing on Wednesday.

On Monday, Mr Wachasundar gave a statement before a magistrate and revealed that he was witness to Mr Kamat and Mr Alemao taking bribe.

The Indian set-up of the New Jersey-based PMC, was under scrutiny for reportedly paying bribes to secure water and sewerage projects in Assam and Goa, and now Maharashtra becomes the third state.

The Crime Branch has alleged that Kamat and Alemao were trying to ensure that the entire project was kept under their control.

The special court dealing with corruption cases refused to send Alemao to the judicial custody or even hear his bail application, till 13 August, when his custody will get over.