New Delhi:
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a money laundering case against Tatra. The ED is investigating if Tatra sold its trucks to the Army at 'overpriced' prices. The Army has bought 7000 Tatra trucks since 1986.
Army Chief General VK Singh had disclosed last month that he was offered a bribe to clear "sub-standard" trucks, which brought the Tatra deals with the Army under scanner.
Tatra is a Czech-manufacturer. It is owned by Vectra, a London-based company, which supplies parts to a defence-run public sector unit, BEML, based in Bangalore. The trucks are assembled at BEML and sold to the Army.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is also pursuing two different cases on the Tatra deals. One relates to the purchase of the 7000 trucks. The other looks at a new consignment of more than 700 trucks that Vectra was allegedly trying to push through. In the former, the CBI has allegedly been granted permission by the Defence Ministry to prosecute VRS Natarajan, the chairman of BEML.
Mr Natarajan has denied that he has ever received complaints about either the acquisition or the performance of Tatra trucks. He said he could not understand why the Army Chief might think of them as as "sub-standard".
Army Chief General VK Singh had disclosed last month that he was offered a bribe to clear "sub-standard" trucks, which brought the Tatra deals with the Army under scanner.
Tatra is a Czech-manufacturer. It is owned by Vectra, a London-based company, which supplies parts to a defence-run public sector unit, BEML, based in Bangalore. The trucks are assembled at BEML and sold to the Army.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is also pursuing two different cases on the Tatra deals. One relates to the purchase of the 7000 trucks. The other looks at a new consignment of more than 700 trucks that Vectra was allegedly trying to push through. In the former, the CBI has allegedly been granted permission by the Defence Ministry to prosecute VRS Natarajan, the chairman of BEML.
Mr Natarajan has denied that he has ever received complaints about either the acquisition or the performance of Tatra trucks. He said he could not understand why the Army Chief might think of them as as "sub-standard".
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