PANJIM: Goa Enforcement Directorate has filed a complaint before the Special Court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat and former PWD Minister Churchill Alemao in the Louis Berger bribery case.
Sources revealed that the complaint filed before the court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act is equal to a charge sheet.
Taking cognisance of the complaint filed by ED, the special court has summoned Kamat and Alemao for ‘First Appearance’ on August 28.
The case came to light after Louis Berger was charged in the US for paying a bribe of a little under Rs 6 crore for bagging projects in Goa. Former high level executive at the LB International James McClung and Alemao were amongst seven accused named in the Crime Branch charge sheet on September 28, 2015.
CB’s 482-page report before the special court charged the company, Alemao, McClung, former JICA Project Director Anand Wachasundar, LB India’s former vice-president Satyakam Mohanty, alleged hawala operator Raichand Soni and former MMC Chairperson Arthur D’Silva, under Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 201 (destruction of evidence and giving false information) of Indian Penal Code and Sections 7, 8, 9 and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The document named Kamat as ‘suspect’ and ‘main criminal conspirator’ while also charging him with accepting illegal gratification of Rs 1.95 crore in cash from the US-based firm for JICA consultancy work.
The MLA has escaped arrest with CB’s application challenging his anticipatory plea pending in the SC till date. A supplementary charge sheet was filed against him in October 2016.
On July 21, 2015, CB had registered a first information report (FIR) against ‘some ministers’ in the Goa government in the year 2010 and the New Jersey-based construction management firm in JICA-funded water project.
