File photo of former Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat
The Goa Police claims that former chief minister Digambar Kamat and former minister who was arrested late Wednesday night, Churchill Alemao, have accepted bribes in the Louis Berger scandal.
In its remand application for seeking custody of former Public and Works Department minister, Mr Alemao, the police said, "Evident and amply clear that Mr Kamat and Mr Alemao favoured Louis Berger for monetary gains by abusing their position... obtained... pecuniary advantage and caused massive loss to Goa."
The remand application spells out four instances of bribes that were allegedly given in 2010-2011 as confessed by a former official of Louis Berger before a magistrate.
Both Congress leaders are accused of accepting nearly USD one million in bribes for granting Rs 1,000 crore water-and-sewage project to a consortium of which the US-based firm Louis Berger was also a part.
The police claim that Mr Kamat was paid Rs 50 to 60 lakh on two occasions, while Mr Alemao got the same amount once and an amount of Rs 15 lakh on the second occasion.
Both these leaders have denied the charges, they told NDTV they have never even seen the file, but the police have rubbished their claim stating that, "Mr Alemao kept file pending without justifiable reasons."
Officials also told NDTV that Mr Kamat and Mr Alemao quarreled over the delay in awarding the project at the chief minister's residence in front of bureaucrats. Mr Alemao wanted the contract to go to a German company.
"Is it logically feasible that in a small state like Goa, a Rs 1,000 crore project is cleared without the knowledge of the Chief Minister?" a top police official replied rhetorically when told of the claims made by both leaders.
The controversy around Louis Berger erupted in July after company executives admitted in a US court that bribes were paid to top Indian government officials to win projects in Goa and Guwahati. The company has agreed to pay a fine of nearly USD 17 million.