Team Herald
PANJIM: The Alemao family finally got some respite on Monday when the special court granted former PWD minister Churchill Alemao conditional bail, after he spent nearly 67 days in jail in the Louis Berger bribery case.
Sacked JICA Project Director Anand Wachasundar was also granted bail in a separate order by Special Judge B P Deshpande.
Alemao and Wachasundar were released on a Rs five lakh surety each with one local solvent surety, and directed to deposit their passports with the court, not to leave the country without prior permission of the court, not to tamper with evidences and not to interfere with the witnesses.
Alemao, arrested on August 5 walked out of Colvale jail later in the evening while Wachasundar, arrested on July 27, was freed from Sada sub-jail after completing the legal formalities.
Alemao’s daughters – Valanka and Sharon – and son were present in the court room when the order was pronounced. The former minister was denied bail thrice – twice by the special court and once by High Court of Bombay at Goa. This was his fourth bail application.
Alemao and Wachasundar are amongst seven persons and Louis Berger company charged for criminal conspiracy under Section 120-B and destruction of evidence under Section 201 of the Indian Penal Code, and Sections 7, 8, 9 and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The former minister is accused of accepting huge kickbacks from the US-based firm for the JICA water and sewarage projects in the State while he is also charged with delaying processing the project-related files on being delayed the bribe amount.
Wachasundar acted as a mediator between the company officials and Alemao and former chief minister Digambar Kamat.
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Celebrations welcome Churchill home
MARGAO: Fireworks, cheering crowds, banners welcomed Churchill Alemao to his bastion of Benaulim. Over 800 supporters gathered at Alemao’s house late Monday night and the celebrations went on till midnight.
Alemao who missed the Vailankanni feast this year plans to visit the church on Wednesday. “My prayers were to Jezu Krist, Valankanni Saibin, St Francis Xavier and St Anthony. I am happy that Menino Jesus brought me out on his feast. I thank the people of my Benaulim and Navelim Constituency and the people of Goa who prayed for me. Also for the priests and lawyers who prayed for me. Time will show what is Churchill, that is what I would like to say,” Alemao said.
On his way home from Colvale, Alemao stopped at Saligao to pay a condolence visit to the family of former CM Dr Wilfred de Souza. “he was the person who brought me to politics, I couldn’t bid him adeus to heaven. But I decided to visit his family once I was out,” Alemao told a supporters.
