O Heraldo: Panjim: Wednesday, September 9, 2015.
Former JICA project director Anand Wachasunder has denied Crime Branch’s (CB) claim of playing a mediating role between the ex-minister and the Louis Berger company into the bribery episode.
In his submission to the special court that heard arguments on his bail plea on Tuesday, Wachasunder said the ex-ministers, also implicated in the case did not require him for kickbacks.
“Former ministers Digambar Kamat and Churchill Alemao are seasoned politicians. Do they require me to mediate bribe? They would have many more for that...” his lawyer D Dhond argued.
The counsel also refused CB’s allegations of using pressure tactics to obtain RTI reply on the missing JICA files in favour of Kamat. “I did not pressurize anybody to furnish wrong information under RTI,” he said adding, “As per my information, CB has also attached that JICA file, which they claim to be missing. I am not responsible for taking care of files as the concerned clerk is supposed to take care of it.”
The CB has stated that before his arrest on July 27, the first arrestee in the case had readied reply to RTI application of Kamat over the missing notings concerning the project, and subsequently called for a meeting of JICA official to inform them about submitting the same response to the applicant.
“Kamat had submitted RTI application on July 23, seeking information regarding all files with notings concerning the appointment of project management consulting for JICA project. The application was forwarded to the office of JICA project director on July 24 following which Wachasunder called an urgent meeting of all concerned officers in his chamber. He told them to furnish the urgent reply prepared by him and issue documents as requested,” a CB officer had told Herald.
Informing the court about the seizure of foreign currencies, he said its details were mentioned in his old passport. During a raid at his Porvorim bungalow last month, the CB had seized foreign currencies from six different countries.
Meanwhile, the prosecution led by SPP Rajiv Gomes argued that Wachasunder mediated and acted like facilitator. “Possibility cannot be ruled out that Wachasunder too was beneficiary of bribe money,” he added.
“We are analyzing the document. CB needs considerable time for investigation. His act in RTI reply matter shows that he can temper evidence,” he further mentioned. The court on hearing arguments from both the prosecution and defence reserved the order for Thursday.
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