New Delhi:
In its bid to get to the bottom of the massive money laundering involved in the Commonwealth Games scam, the Enforcement Directorate will soon file cases against unknown accused.
Sources have told NDTV that the cases will be filed within the next two to three days under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The charges relate to two key cases that Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi and his associates have been facing the flak for. One is the AM Films contract case related to the alleged financial irregularities during the Queen Baton's Relay held in London. For example, the transport (Mercedes) hired for the Queen's Baton Relay, ED says, alone amounted to 1.5 lakh pounds for 12 hours duty. The second is the overlays case. The ED is mainly looking at four consortiums in charge of overlays: PICO international and Deepali Designs, GL Litmus and Meroform consortium, Comfort Net and Nussli India consortium and ESG Arena and D-Art furniture. These firms got contracts worth at least Rs 1,000 crore.
Separate cases may be filed for the AM Films contract and the overlays got in India. The ED hasn't yet questioned Kalmadi on these cases, but sources say there are good chances of establishing his link.
Different agencies, including the ED, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), have been asked to uncover a multitude of financial misdeeds during the CWG that range from payments being made to companies that don't exist, to contracts that allowed those hired for the Games to get away with severely over-priced equipment and services.
The CVC is inquiring into over 30 complaints related to alleged corruption in the Games works carried out by different civic and construction agency. It includes overlays works, workforce selection, hiring of equipment and public relation related projects executed by the OC.
The CBI has registered four FIRs naming some of the close aides of Kalmadi for alleged criminal conspiracy and financial irregularities in executing certain contracts. It has also questioned Kalmadi in connection with its cases.
On October 25 last year, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had also appointed a committee under the chairmanship of former Comptroller and Auditor General V K Shunglu to look into corruption in several works carried out for the mega sporting event. The Committee was asked to submit its report within three months time. (With PTI Inputs)