Team Herald
PANJIM: Hawala operator Raichand Soni will undergo custodial interrogation till Tuesday with the judicial magistrate remanding him to three days in custody on Saturday.
Soni was arrested on Friday afternoon after his statement and that of his employee Mukesh Bharati were recorded before a magistrate under Section 164 of CrPC, separately.
Soni has stated that Louis Berger paid a huge bribe to former chief minister Digambar Kamat and former minister Churchill Alemao in four installments to get the JICA project consultancy in 2010.
Crucial witnesses, ex-LB officials Sanjay Jindal and Shiv Ram Prasad Malladi, Shah Consultancy director Prasanna Shah and JICA project director accused Anand Wachasundar, besides Soni and Bharati are amongst six persons who have testified before the magistrate.
The statements have named the two former ministers and allegedly Churchill’s daughter Valanka for demanding bribes, besides also Wachasundar among others.
Four persons including Churchill are in custody. While Wachasundar is in judicial custody, the other three are sharing jail space in the Panjim police station lock-up.
