In Louis Berger bribery case, former Goa CM says he's innocent

Holding that he was not involved in the pay-off scam involving a US consultancy firm, former Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat on Wednesday said he had never met the company’s officials or accepted money for clearing a project when he was heading the ministry.

Congress leader Kamat, who has been summoned by the Crime Branch in connection with Louis Berger bribery case, said he had been maintaining this positions ever since the scam surfaced and that he still sticks to it.

“I have been saying this from the first day. And I maintain the statement. I have never met Louis Berger company officials,” he told reporters outside the state assembly complex.

“I have not taken any money. The file never came to me,” Kamat, a Congress MLA, said.

He has been summoned by the Crime Branch to appear before it on Wednesday in connection with the case.

Kamat is expected to appear before the investigators for questioning on Wednesday afternoon, a senior Crime Branch official said.“We have summoned Kamat and he would be appearing around 3 pm,” the official said.

Though the summons were issued to him on Tuesday, he failed to appear before the investigating officer.

Since he is a legislator and the assembly is in session, the summons were routed through the assembly speaker.

Stating that he would appear before the investigating officer, Kamat said he will cooperate with the agencies.  “I will go to the Crime Branch today. I have nothing to

hide,” said Kamat, who was heading the state between 2007-2012 when Louis Berger company allegedly paid bribe.

The US company allegedly bribed the ministers to win consultancy for water augmentation and sewerage line project executed under Japan International Cooperation Agency funding.

The Crime Branch had on Tuesday questioned former public works department minister Churchill Alemao.

Police have 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.

His bail application will be heard by a local court on Wednesday.

Talking to reporters outside the assembly complex, the state Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza dubbed the Louis Berger case as a matter of “embarrassment” for Goa.

“I would say it is an embarrassment to the political class, to Goans. We always thought that Goans were out of such things,” he said.

D’Souza said the case is a serious affair and scrutiny of all such projects should be taken up. “It is very serious affair. I don’t know why it happened that way. There should be a scrutiny of all the projects. The public should have confidence that things are done in a right way,” he said.

On the Crime Branch probe, he said he would offer comments on the issue only after CB submits its final report.

“There has to be final report by the Crime Branch, then only we will be able to ascertain who has done what... Based on your information I cannot make a comment. I would rather prefer to go by the Crime Branch report. Let the report come, let it be in public domain,” he said responding to a question.

Meanwhile, the Goa government on Wednesday said there will be no impact of the ongoing controversy on JICA project works in the state which are currently moving closer to completion.

“The project works will go on. There is no problem in the projection, completion of JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) works,” the state Public Works Department Minister Sudin Dhavalikar said.

He said 90 per cent of the works on water augmentation has been executed while 60-65 per cent work on sewerage line has been completed.

“A hundred-MLD water treatment plant at Sanguem would be completed by September 2016 which will provide water to entire South Goa district by December 2016,” the minister said.

He said the current inquiry in the bribery case has not affected the completion of works. 

Image: Former Goa CM Digambar Kamat.