2008 probe head says Wiki cables not authentic

Senior Congress leader Kishore Chandra Deo, who headed a parliamentary panel that probed the 2008 'cash-for-votes' scam allegedly involving some members of the Lok Sabha, on Thursday said certain aspects like the trail of money must be investigated.

"I had recommended an investigation into certain issues like trail of money by agencies like income-tax and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence who are equipped to probe," Deo told PTI after Parliament was paralysed over the release of United States diplomatic cables by WikiLeaks alleging payment of bribes to some MPs to get their support for the United Progressive Alliance government during the trust vote in 2008.

Deo, however, said there cannot be any inquiry on the basis of "so-called" cable leak as its authenticity has to be verified. "It is not authentic. So I don't think this can be used as a basis for making a comment or giving an opinion on this," he said.

Asked about fresh names in the WikiLeaks cables, Deo said that "certain names that were being mentioned did not appear in the tapes (given to him earlier). There was no proof as far as we are concerned."

Deo said his inquiry was case-specific and was based on tapes and his committee was constituted by a resolution of Parliament. The committee ceased to exist after presenting its report to Parliament, he said.

"There is no need of a fresh investigation" into the aspects he had inquired into, he said.

Deo said he had recommended that the report be referred to appropriate investigating agencies and the Lok Sabha Speaker had forwarded it to the home ministry. "So it is for the government to tell you where it stands and what has happened," he said.

He dismissed the Opposition's demand for the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the WikiLeaks expose.