In a shocking disclosure by Louis Berger officials who testified in front of the magistrate have confirmed that Digamber Kamat, the former Chief Minister of Goa has accepted the bribe from US based Louis Berger Company in 2010. The police sources have confirmed this fact to media. Further according to the testimony of the officials, Churchill Alemao, the then PWD minister in congress government is reportedly named as second recipient of a bribe amounting to nearly million dollar kickback which was paid to him by Louis Berger.
According to the news published by the NDTV, two executives from Louis Berger testified for a magistrate on Monday and named two congress leaders Digamber Kamat & Churchill Alemao were involved in taking bribe from the US based firm. Both of them had been summoned by the Crime Branch of Goa police on Tuesday to investigate into the matter. “Summons have been issued to Kamat through Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly (Rajendra Arlekar) to appear before the Crime Branch at 4 PM as the Assembly is in session,” Superintendent of Police (CB) Kartik Kashyap told PTI. Earlier in the day, Alemao appeared before the Crime Branch at Ribander for questioning in the case after summons was issued to him but he reportedly denied doing anything wrong.
The controversy around Louis Berger erupted earlier this month with the report that the firm had admitted in a US court to paying bribes to top Indian government officials to win projects in Goa and Guwahati. The company agreed to pay a fine of nearly 17 million dollars for kickbacks paid in countries including India.
Though it was confirmed in the US court that the firm had paid the bribe to some ministers from India for the projects in Goa and Guwahati but the names of those involved have been revealed now by the officials. Is there any specific reason as why they did not reveal the names of the minister earlier in the deposition in front of the US Courts? Is this also another political game played by the ruling government, as alleged by the opposition, to settle the political scores against the rivals? Is the real truth behind this story will ever come in front of people? Please do leave your most valuable comments and suggestions at the end of this news article.
Source: PTI / NDTV
