Kalmadi rebuts Indian High Commission

New Delhi: It's now a full blown war between the Chairman of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (OC) Suresh Kalmadi and India's Foreign Ministry. Kalmadi has now released what he says is more evidence that the Indian High Commission recommended the firm, now under the scanner of the UK government. (Read: Kalmadi denies corruption charges, takes on Indian High Commission in London)

The Indian High Commission had denied Kalmadi's claim that it had recommended London-based AM Films to Commonwealth Games. (Watch)

Earlier, speaking exclusively to NDTV's Barkha Dutt, Mr Kalmadi drew the Indian High Commission in London into the controversy by saying that a verbal agreement involving payments of two lakh pounds to AM Films was actually decided after the High Commission recommended the firm.

"It was the Indian High Commission's letter that recommended Ashish Patel's firm to us and the total money paid to the firm is two lakh pounds," Kalmadi said. (Watch the interview)

The UK government is probing irregularities in this business deal and has raised questions about why there was no written contract.

CWG money siphoned off abroad? (Read: Corruption scandal hits 2010 Games)

• UK government probing transfer of 247,000 pounds from OC to UK-based AM Films
• Money transferred for services during Queen's Baton Relay in October 2009
• UK authorities allege discrepancies in the payment by OC
• AM Films: No contract with CWG, only invoices
• AM Films: CWG still owes us 123,000 pounds
  

On Sunday, Kalmadi released three letters, one written by him to the Indian High Commission and the other two which Raju Sebastian wrote to the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee in response to his letter.

The first letter which Kalmadi had written to the Indian High Commission says:

"We had written to Mr Vikrant Ratan, the First Secretary (Protocol) of the Indian High Commission, to provide us the list of agencies for transportation, accommodation and other services and their approved rates. In response, Mr Raju Sebastian of the Protocol Division giving reference to our mail to the First Secretary, informed that the approved vendors for transport art M/S AM Car & Van and the Chauffer Company. This clearly indicates that the Indian High Commission had recommended M/S AM Car & Vans to the Organising Committee for the Queen's Baton Rally function in London."

Kalmadi also showed letter from High Commission: Raju Sebastian sent email from personal ID rskakkanatil@yahoo.co.in to Raj Singh@cwgdelhi2010.org. "Please refer to your e-mail regarding Car Rates and agencies used by Indian High Commission in London... The rates below are approved by the High Commission of India."

These are the e-mails which Kalmadi says the Indian High Commission in London sent to the Commonwealth Organising Committee signed by Raju Sebastian of the Protocol Division. The letters from Sebastian Kalmadi says, came after they asked the first secretary at the Indian High Commission for recommendations and they clearly name AM Car and Van as the approved vendors for transportation.

At the centre of the corruption charges, a letter written by Deputy High Commissioner of India in London, Rajesh N Prasad, to the Sports Ministry about allegations of corruption made by the UK government, which says that 25,000 pounds sent from the CWG in India to a company, AM films, in UK, is unaccounted for. (Read: Corruption scandal hits 2010 Games)

When asked by NDTV why the CWG didn't enter in any contract with the firm, Kalmadi said, "There was no written contract with Patel's firm as the decision was taken at the last minute. We had to get logistics for London in a hurry, so there was no time for tender."

Lakhs for an airconditioner?

The Commonwealth Games muddle is getting murkier by the day as reports of new corruption allegations continue to hit the Games 2010 every day.

Now questions are being raised over whether the Organising Committee headed by Suresh Kalmadi manipulated tenders and inflated the prices of basic rentals and purchases.

NDTV has accesses to the tender for "overlay" costs that shows that the tender was awarded to a company that has charged the organizers four lakh rupees for a single air conditioner, nine lakh rupees for every treadmill.

However, speaking to NDTV Kalmadi denied overpricing and argued that the money spent on overlays is lower than what the FIFA World Cup spent on the same costs.

Overpriced overlays?

• Rs 4 lakh paid per air conditioner
• Rs 9 lakh paid per treadmill