Louis Berger bribery scam: Digambar Kamat skips appearance at Goa crime branch ahead of bail hearing

Panaji: Former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat on Wednesday failed to appear before the Goa Crime Branch for questioning in connection with the Louis Berger bribery case. Fearing arrest in the case, the 61-year-old Congress leader, who has been questioned by the investigators twice, in connection with alleged bribery in awarding of a consultancy contract to the US firm for a major water development project in Goa, had filed an anticipatory bail which will be heard today. In a letter sent to Crime Branch through his lawyer Surendra Desai, Kamat said, “I am busy consulting my lawyers in connection with the anticipatory bail. So I will not be able to present (myself) before the investigating officer”. Kamat was summoned by the Crime Branch at noon at their Ribander office near here in connection with the case. Yesterday, head for the JICA-aided project in Goa, Anand Wachasunder had claimed before a court that he was a witness to the bribe money given to Kamat and then State Public Works department minister Churchill Alemao. [caption id=“attachment_2389790” align=“alignleft” width=“380” class=" “]  Former Goa CM Digambar Kamat. Agencies[/caption] Wachasunder has given graphic details before a magistrate here on how the bribe was paid, where it was paid and how much money was paid to these two ministers. The Crime Branch, which has opposed his bail, had earlier told the court that Kamat allegedly accepted bribe at his official residence here, which was also the venue of several heated discussions and arguments with bureaucrats to clear the deal for the US firm. In its submission in the court, the Crime Branch made this claim based on the confessional statement made by a former employee of the New Jersey-based management consultancy firm which had won the contract when Kamat was heading the Congress-led ministry in the state from 2007-2012. “It is submitted that one more ex-employee of Louis Berger International Inc, in his confessional statement under section 164 CrPC before the court, corroborated the statement of his colleague that he had delivered on two occasions Rs 50-60 lakhs to then Kamat at his official residence at Altinho (Panaji) and his private residence at Margao in 2010 11,” it had said during submissions made while seeking extension of police custody of Alemao. Alemao was arrested by the Crime Branch last week in connection with the case. The US-based company has admitted to paying bribe to an Indian minister to win consultancy for the project funded by JICA. The Crime Branch has alleged that Kamat and Alemao were trying to ensure that the entire project was kept under their control. “Kamat in connivance with Alemao tried to subvert JICA guidelines by making a policy decision whereby all the files regarding any project costing above Rs five crore would go through the approval of Goa State Works Board and thereby tried to keep control over the entire project which cost around Rs 1,031 crore,” the police have told the court. “However after stiff objection by the bureaucrats, including the then Finance Secretary Udipta Rai and other officials, which led to a quarrel between the then Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, then PWD Minister Churchill Alemao at CM’s official bungalow (residence) in Altinho, Panaji over JICA project, it was decided to go ahead with the project as per JICA guidelines,” the police said. The Crime Branch, which has arrested four people including Wachasunder, is now searching for crucial files pertaining to award of the consultancy work. PTI