'Drawing' was a code word to 'draw' bribes in Berger case
PTI, PANAJI | 03 August 2015 16:03 IST
Goa Police Crime Branch have decoded several messages relating to bribe demands by the head of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) water project in the state during the Louis Berger bribery case probe.
There were several messages related to demanding of bribe in the Louis Berger bribery case which have been tracked during the investigation, Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar has said.
Speaking at a BJP workers meeting yesterday, Parsekar said during investigations, police came across word like 'drawings' used by the accused to seek bribe from the officials of US-based company.
"During the investigation, a word which came to my attention was 'drawings'. Four drawings, six drawings...It is a technical term used in engineering, which is why when you say 'drawings', no one will doubt," he said.
Crime Branch which has recorded several statements of local officials of Louis Berger company have confirmed that A Wachasunder, who headed JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) water project in Goa, had demanded the bribes.
Subsequently, Wachasunder was arrested and currently lodged in police custody.
Referring to Crime Branch's interrogation of former Goa chief minister Digambar Kamat in connection with the scam, Parsekar said, "Is Kamat involved in the scam? Wait and watch. Crime branch has lot of proofs."
He, however, did not delve into the details of the proofs.
Former PWD minister Churchill Alemao has also been interrogated by the Crime Branch.
The chief minister on the occasion congratulated the police for meticulous investigation.
"If thieves need to be caught, one needs to speak less. I appreciate the police, which is otherwise the butt of ridicule. In order to crack the Louis Berger case, our police went to three places, Jaipur, Gurgaon and Chandigarh," he said.
Louis Berger has been charged with bribing Indian officials with several crores of rupees to win two major water developmental projects in Goa and Guwahati.
