 "Chidu delayed Aircel-Maxis deal for son's benefit: Swamy")
Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy today alleged that as Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram delayed the Aircel- Maxis deal so that his son Karti Chidambaram was able to obtain kickbacks from Maxis.
Swami presented to media what he called ‘prima facie evidence’ against Karti Chidambaram and demanded a CBI inquiry into the matter.
“He (P Chidambaram) used his position to benefit his son,” Swamy said.
[caption id=“attachment_289445” align=“alignleft” width=“350” caption=“The Janata Party leader has demanded a CBI probe into the evidence given by him. Screen grab from CNN IBN.”]
[/caption]
Swamy’s allegation is that on 31 March , 2006, there was a financial transaction worth Rs 26,00,444 between Advantage Strategic Consulting Private Limited (in which Karti holds majority share) and Aircel Televentures Limited. At the time, Aircel Televentures owned Aircel ltd and Aircel cellular ltd.
According to the Janata Party leader, Karti’s company gave this money as loan but it was converted into shares.
“Karti became five per cent share holder in Aircel,” said Swamy. Later, when Maxis acquired Aircel, Karti remained a share holder, he said.
Maxis is one of the alleged beneficiaries of the 2G scam. Former Aircel Chief C Sivasankaran has alleged that former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran favoured the Malaysian Maxis group to takeover his company and in return investments were made by through Astro network in Sun TV-owned by the Maran family.
The CBI which is investigating the deal has alleged that Maran received Rs 547 crore as kickbacks from Malaysian telecom company Maxis.
“These dubious transactions show that as a finance minister, P Chidambaram ensured that the Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance on Aircel- Maxis deal would be cleared, only if his son Karti P Chidambaram-controlled company gets share in Sivakumar’s Aircel Televenture Ltd to share the booty from Maxis,” Swamy alleged, adding that he had written to the CBI, Enforcement Directorate and Registrar of Companies about the alleged irregularities.