The CBI has confirmed that a recorded phone conversation between CBI prosecutor AK Singh and Unitech Managing Director Sanjay Chandra is genuine, reported CNN-IBN.
The confirmation comes after the CBI took voice samples from both individuals and sent them for forensic testing to ascertain if the tape was genuine. The tape carries a conversation between the two discussing ways to allegedly weaken the 2G case.
Murkier and murkier: CNN-IBN screengrab
Singh is heard telling Chandra that key witness of the CBI and former DoT officer, AK Srivastava, who had cleared all the 2G licences applications, would compromise his testimony.
CBI sources had earlier told PTI that they believed the tape had been recorded by someone who was present in a room along with Singh and Chandra when they were allegedly discussing the strategy in the case.
AK Singh was not the main prosecutor in the 2G case, and has since been dismissed. The probe agency has also constituted a special team of officials who will make an assessment of damage, if any, to the prosecution in the spectrum allocation case.
During the probe, all aspects including of corporate rivalry, will be looked into, they said.
The CBI said it believed the tape would have been recorded in September-October last year as the subject matter of discussion on the tapes suggests the agency’s legal strategy during that time.
Reacting to the report, Unitech issued a statement, claiming that Chandra had never met the CBI prosecutor outside court in connection with the case, and neither did he have any telephonic conversation with him.
The statement read, “It appears a fabricated voice recording has been sent anonymously to the CBI. Any suggestion that Sanjay Chandra is linked with this recording is nothing but an attempt to malign him and prejudice his defence in the 2G case. Increasingly, manipulated voice recordings are finding their way into the public domain with ulterior motives.”
With inputs from PTI
