Goa Bribery Case: Accused Officer May Turn Witness Against Digambar Kamat, Say Sources

Mumbai:  The Goa Police is sparing no efforts to ensure that the million-dollar bribe case against former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat and his cabinet colleague Churchill Alemao is water tight. Top police sources have told NDTV that A M Wachasundar, the former project director of the controversial water and sewage contract, has agreed to turn approver.

“We want him to be the approver in this case and Wachasundar has agreed,” the police official told NDTV. “But this will only happen a little later and the court will have the final word.”

If Wachasundar turns approver, it would mean that his testimony will be used against the former Congress ministers to prove the conspiracy angle, whereas in return – as per law – he will not be prosecuted. The police claim that though they had earlier believed Wachasundar was also bribed and arrested him, till now they have no evidence to prove the same.

Setting the stage, on Monday, Wachasundar gave a statement before a magistrate under Section 164 of the CrPC in which he has revealed that he was an eyewitness when Mr Kamat and former Public and Works Department minister, Mr Alemao were bribed. “He has told the magistrate that he was present when Rs 50-60 lakhs were given as a bribe to Kamat and Rs 15 lakhs to Alemao at their respective residences. So he is a crucial link between the bribe-givers and bribe-takers,” the officer explained.

Both leaders are accused of accepting nearly US $1 million in bribes for granting Rs 1,000 crore water-and-sewage project to a consortium of which the US-based firm Louis Berger was also a part. The police even told the court that it was “evident and amply clear that Mr Kamat and Mr Alemao favoured Louis Berger for monetary gains by abusing their position… obtained… pecuniary advantage and caused massive loss to Goa.”



 



While denying the charges both Kamat and Alemao told NDTV they have never even seen the file, but the police rubbished their claim stating that, “Mr Alemao kept file pending without justifiable reasons.” Officials also told NDTV that Mr Kamat and Mr Alemao quarreled over the delay in awarding the project at the chief minister’s residence in front of bureaucrats. Mr Alemao wanted the contract to go to a German company.

Mr Alemao has already been arrested and is in police custody while Mr Kamat has sought anticipatory bail. His plea will be heard on Wednesday.

The controversy around Louis Berger erupted in July after company executives admitted in a US court that bribes were paid to top Indian government officials to win projects in Goa and Guwahati. The company has agreed to pay a fine of nearly US $17 million.