File photo of former PWD Minister Churchill Alemao.
The Goa police today filed a chargesheet in the Louis Berger bribery case, naming former PWD Minister Churchill Alemao and five others as accused and the former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat as a suspect.
Mr Alemao and others have been charged with criminal conspiracy and offences under Prevention of Corruption Act.
Louis Berger, a US-based firm, had revealed to the US authorities earlier this year that it had paid bribes to some persons in Goa government in 2010 to get a consultancy contract for a water and sewerage project funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency.
Other accused named in the chargesheet, filed before a special ACB court in Panaji, are director of the project Anand Wachasunder, former Louis Berger officials James McClung and Satyakam Mahanty and two others -- Raichand Soni and Arthur D'silva. Louis Berger Group Inc too has been made an accused.
Goa police had questioned Congress leader Digambar Kamat who was the Chief Minister at the relevant time. A supplementary chargesheet would be filed against Mr Kamat later, a senior crime branch officer said today.
"Digambar Kamat has been shown in column 12 of the chargesheet as a 'suspect' with the reasons why the chargesheet has not been filed against him as of now," the officer said.
"The supplementary chargesheet will have Kamat's name in it as an accused," the official said, requesting anonymity.
Mr Alemao is currently in jail.
A local court has granted anticipatory bail to Mr Kamat, which has been challenged in the High Court.