PANJIM: After paying huge amounts in kickbacks to former chief minister Digambar Kamat and former minister Churchill Alemao for three years from 2009-2011, Louis Berger had turned down the extension in the contract to complete the JICA-funded water supply and sewarage projects in Goa.
LB that led the consortium had around 48 percent of the consultancy fees while three companies – Nihon Suido Consultants, NJS Consultants and Shah Consultancy – were roped in to provide technical manpower to carry out the project.
The confessional statement of Prasanna Shah, MD of Shah Consultancy, before the judicial magistrate reveals LB’s senior vice president James McClung’s desperate moves to get the water supply consultancy. It was only thereafter that the company walked out of the project on completion of the five-year contract in October 2014.
“LB group was not interested in continuing with the services for the period extended contract and hence they withdrew from the project. Since March 2014, as LBG withdrew, we three companies continued with the services and PWD, Goa have made a request to JICA to extend the contract for the pending work. The extension sought was for 18 months,” the four-page statement copy recorded under Section 164 of the CrPC reads.
Herald, is in possession of the confessional statements of the accused and witnesses in the case, and found that before LB declined the extension, Alemao had demanded monetary benefits to approve a pending file related to the project. McClung had even confirmed that the demand was fulfilled as he did not want the company to lose the contract.
“In the year 2009-2010, McClung who was heading the operations of LBG India had told me and other consortium partners that he or his representative had met the then PWD minister Churchill Alemao and discussed with him regarding the pending file and he had given monetary commitments to be fulfilled for approval of the file,” Shah stated.
McClung, one of the seven accused chargesheeted in the case, is wanted by Crime Branch (CB). A formal communication has been sent to US government seeking his custody.
One of the crucial witnesses in the case and former LB employee Sanjay Jindal was regularly updating the consortium members regarding the handing over of the amount to Alemao. Shah was kept in the loop through messages or phone calls from Jindal.
“From the messages received from Jindal, I gathered that some representatives of LB paid crores of rupees to the then PWD minister in 3-4 installments from the year 2009-11,” he said adding, “McClung was very keen and desperate to get water supply consultancy… He was anxious about the delay in the contract because of which McClung did not want the contract to slip out of LB as it would enhance their capability and strength.”
It was Alemao who constantly reminded Shah through phone calls to ask LB about their commitment. Shah had one occasion visited Alemao’s Varca residence with witness Shiv Ram Prasad Malladi who carried two bags with him. Jindal had asked Shah to accompany Malladi to Alemao’s residence where the bags were thereafter handed over to him. Former JICA project director Anand Wachasundar was also conveying Alemao’s messages to Shah over the payment of bribe.
“My company was the smallest in the consortium compared to the other three partners who were all multinational companies with much turnover compared to my company. I was not in a position to overrule any decision taken by the major partners regarding project commitment and to keep the reputation of my company, I could not leave the consortium half way,” Shah said expressing his helplessness into the entire bribery episode.
