PANJIM: In a new development in the Louis Berger bribery case, the ongoing investigation has found that hawala operator Raichand Soni, arrested on August 7, funds a large number of casino gamblers in Goa. Soni was also once jailed for 20 days in Yerwada Central Jail for allegedly running a hawala network.
The prosecution’s revelation came while opposing Soni’s bail plea before the Principal Sessions Judge B P Deshpande minutes after his police custody was extended by another three days on Tuesday.
“Casinos are running on his funds… He funds many casino gamblers in Goa,” special public prosecutor G D Kirtani said. The prosecution also pointed out to his confessional statement recorded before a judicial magistrate under Section 164 of CrPC that he paid Rs 1.75 crore to the ex-LB employees in 2009-11 at his Midland shop in the capital through hawala transactions.
Senior counsel Nitin Sardesai contested the prosecution’s submission stating that Soni paid the amount to witness Sanjay Jindal on request from his friend and another witness in the case, Prasanna Shah. He also dismissed charges of conspiracy levelled against his client while denying Soni was a hawala operator.
“There is no evidence that I paid the money to ex-ministers. My friend Shah had called me to pay the amount to Jindal, which I delivered through my employee Mukesh Bharati (also witness in the case). I withdrew the huge amount from my bank account. I can afford to since I am financially sound with vast real estate business,” Sardesai submitted on behalf of Soni.
The lawyer further added he was not hesitant to pay the money to Jindal since he maintains a good rapport with Shah. “I have paid a huge amount to Shah in instalments which I got back… The Crime Branch has no evidence of hawala transactions because I am not into this illegal business,” Sardesai said.
Dismissing claims of conspiracy, Sardesai said that his client should be investigated by Enforcement Directorate if at all he actually operates a hawala network. “Assume that Soni is into the so-called hawala transaction, then he is doing an ordinary course of business. How can he be a conspirator here? And going by prosecutions’ argument, Soni should be investigated by ED and not under the Prevention of Corruption Act,” he explained during his argument seeking bail. Interestingly, the CB has till date not called him ‘hawala agent’ yet, he added.
The prosecution on the other hand cited in brief the confessions of two ex-LB employees, Sanjay Jindal and Shiv Ram Prasad, that the cash of Rs 1.75 crore approximately paid to former ministers Digambar Kamat and Churchill Alemao was collected from Soni’s office in Panjim. Considering this point, Kirtani sought cancellation of his bail as his further interrogation could reveal the source of money to his bank account.
“The identity of the source/person who had delivered the cash from outside Goa to the accused has to be revealed, while also the chain of transfer of money. It is a vital link. His involvement in hawala transaction which is illegal and encourages other illegal things into the picture deteriorates a nation in all aspects,” the submission, a copy of which is with Herald, states.
The defence, however, stated that the entire transaction would be known from the bank concerned as the records are electronically maintained. He pointed out to CB’s lethargic attitude towards the investigation and contradicting the hawala transactions explained by the prosecution saying it is parallel bank transaction, which is not recognized by the Reserve Bank of India.
The prosecution stated that he operated based on a commission of Rs 50 per Rs 1,000 transferred through illegal means. The court has reserved the order for August 13, Thursday.
