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The Rediff Interview/O P Kejriwal

'There was pressure on me from the highest authorities'

If match-fixing, betting and bribery became buzzwords once the Delhi police discovered the Cronje tapes, corruption at the highest levels of cricket administration hit the headlines with the publication of the Arun Aggarwal report into the doings and wrongdoings of the DD sports consortium.

The reverberations from that report continue, with suits and countersuits being filed by various parties.

Sheela Bhatt spoke to O P Kejriwal, then chief executive officer of the Prasar Bharati Corporation and the man who set the ball rolling by ordering the Aggarwal inquiry into the formation and functioning of the consortium.

What prompted Kejriwal to launch the inquiry? What were the pulls and pressures he had to cope with while the exercise was on? And what was the outcome? Kejriwal discussed these issues in the exclusive interview. Excerpts:

Why an inquiry?

When I became CEO, talk of irregularities between the consortium and Doordarshan was in air. I asked for a note, but it was not sufficient to give the right picture. When the World Cup came up, DD signed the deal with the consortium headed by Stracon. Nimbus, one of the parties, protested. I had to check the files. But there were too many files and the issue was too complicated. As I didn't have time, I wrote to the ministry and board to give me a financial adviser. Since the World Cup issue was hotting up, I thought it fit to ask for the opinion of an expert.

Arun Aggarwal is not my relative, as claimed. As he has the expertise, I requested him to check the deal. He found gross irregularities in the consortium deal, besides the deal of the serial Shri Krishna with DD.

I presented the report to the Prasar Bharati board.

Why was no action taken?

I placed the report along with the recommendation of Solicitor-General Kirit Rawal. He had advised DD to request a Central Bureau of Investigation or Central Vigilance Commission inquiry into the sports consortium deal. The board even contemplated a Comptroller and Auditor General inquiry. That was the last board meeting I attended.

What happened after you left?

Some people may have been apprehensive about a CBI inquiry.

What was the report's impact?

The consortium, which was looting DD, was scrapped following the report. In the absence of an investigation they would have continued to commit fraud and DD would have run into more losses. In Bombay, thanks to a court judgment, DD saved Rs 26 crore [260 million]. The consortium was dominated by Stracon and there was clear collusion with DD officials. The report was unsettling for them. It's clear that DD officials went out of their way to help the consortium.

Was there pressure on you because of the auditing of the DD-Sport Consortium deal?

Yes, a lot of pressure.

From whom?

From the highest authorities.

Who?

I cannot reveal that.

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