Fearing arrest, Goa's ex-CM Digambar moves for anticipatory
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 05 August 2015 12:48 IST
Fearing arrest at any moment, Goa’s former Congress chief minister Digambar Kamat has moved for an anticipatory bail in the Louis Berger bribery case.
The bail application, filed before the special court set up under Prevention of Corruption Act, headed by judge B P Deshpande, may come up for hearing today.
Kamat confirmed, when phoned, filing the bail application but refused to divulge why he fears the arrest.
Sources close to Kamat however disclosed to goanews.com that the sudden withdrawal of anticipatory bail application by A M Wachasundar prompted his lawyers to move for anticipatory bail.
It is learnt that the crime branch of Goa police is planning to turn Wachasundar as the police approver in the investigations.
He was the project director of the JICA-financed water supply and sewerage project, till he was suspended before his arrest.
The Goa police is investigating into the bribery case, where the US-based consultancy firm - Louis Berger International Inc. -has admitted of having paid a bribe of Rs six crore to Goans ministers and governent officials.
Louis Berger managed to get the project execution in Goa, supposedly after paying bribes during the Congress regime, then headed by Digambar Kamat.
Churchill Alemao, the PWD minister in Kamat government, has also been named by the officials.
According to sources, Kamat has been advised by his lawyers to move for anticipatory bail after Wachasundar reportedly agreed to turn the approver.
The police in the meanwhile have also managed to name Satyakam Mohanty, former vice president of Louis Berger (India).
He has been also remanded to police custody.
Kamat has been consistently denying the charges, claiming that the JICA project file never came to him and he never signed any document related to this project.
However, his action of moving for the anticipatory bail and fearing arrest speaks a different language.
