PANJIM: The Anti Corruption Branch of the Central Bureau of Investigation (Goa), inquiring into the alleged financial irregularities in the Goa Cricket Association (GCA) on Wednesday collected relevant documents from the Porvorim office as part of its preliminary inquiry.
Sources told Herald that the sleuths verified the records regarding infrastructural works carried out amounting to Rs 17 lakh. The amount was paid to its executive committee member Suryakant Naik towards bills of the works submitted by him to the GCA office.
“The CBI officials checked the records and collected with them papers pertaining to this inquiry. Naik had claimed that the works cost the GCA Rs 17 lakh for which he was paid Rs 17 lakh,” the source said.
Naik’s role comes under suspicion as he cannot claim for the money as he is a Central government official working with the National Institute of Oceanography. Moreover, it is uncertain whether he had obtained official permission from NIO to become a member of GCA.
If the irregularities are proved, an official said, CBI will register an offence that could result in Naik being jailed. However, the case is still at the inquiry stage.
A two member committee comprising of CMO of BITS Pilani, KM Raghevandra, and chartered accountant Pradeep Lad are investigating the financial and administrative affairs of the GCA. Last month, an eight member team of the managing committee of GCA headed by Dr Shekar Salkar had presented documents to the panel alleging irregularities amounting to a total of Rs 26 lakh given in cash to a sports company by GCA secretary in 2008.
The committee had also furnished another set of documents alleging that Rs 4 crore spent on installing the floodlights years back was significantly more than the cost incurred by the State government to install floodlights at the Fatorda stadium in 2013. The whopping amount was paid towards the work carried out by a firm allegedly owned by former cricketer Kapil Dev which apparently had as its office the GCA office.
The CBI, sources said, is not investigating into the alleged scam within the association but allegations involving central agencies.
