PANJIM: Crime Branch (CB) on Wednesday opposed jailed former PWD minister Churchill Alemao’s bail application pointing out to property worth Rs two crore worth purchased in 2010 at the time when the Louis Berger bribes were paid.
During arguments before the special court, special public prosecutor Rajeev Gomes stated that the property was purchased in the name of Alemao’s son. CB suspects the property could have been purchased from kickbacks he received from former LB employees.
Dwelling on the intensity of the crime, Gomes informed the court that the New Jersey district court has scheduled sentencing hearing against former senior vice president James McClung on November 5, 2015. The penalty, as mentioned on the court’s official website, amounts between $ 17
million to over $ 34 million.
The defence counsel, however, contested the prosecution’s claim on the expensive property purchase stating the procedures were legally followed. The court has reserved the order for Monday.
Meanwhile, former JICA project director Anand Wachasundar, who has also applied for bail before the same court, has asserted that ‘fulfilling the commitment’ as mentioned in the statement recorded before judicial magistrate did not mean bribe. The arguments on his bail application will continue on Thursday.
