Cong high command gives clean chit to Digambar
PTI, PANAJI | 03 August 2015 16:19 IST
Congress has stood by former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat in connection with the Louis Berger bribery case, saying there is no question of his involvement the scam.
"I spoke to Kamat last night. He has brought out the facts that at no point of time the file (related to JICA project) came to him. It was a Japanese funded project. The tenders were approved by JICA ( Japan International Cooperation Agency) and there is no question of any involvement of Digambar Kamat in it," All India Congress Committee General Secretary Digvijaya Singh told reporters today.
Kamat along with former Public Works Department Minister Churchill Alemao are being investigated for alleged pay-offs by the US company to ministers in 2010 to win consultancy for water augmentation and sewerage line project executed under JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) in Goa and Guwahati.
Singh demanded an independent inquiry into the entire matter which is currently being probed by Goa Crime Branch.
"In Louis Berger bribery case we would like an independent inquiry preferably by the CBI," he said.
Singh said the Congress has never hesitated to take action against the corrupt even if prima facie evidence is found.
Earlier during the week, both Kamat (who was heading the state between 2007-2012 when the US company allegedly paid bribes) and Alemao were grilled by the Crime Branch in connection with the case.
Crime Branch has already arrested A Wachasunder, a senior official who headed the controversial JICA water project in Goa that is at the centre of the pay-off case.
