PANJIM: The Income Tax department has stumbled upon information pointing at alleged money laundering of over Rs 5 crore in the Louis Berger bribery case.
IT sources told Herald that bank statements indicate that a Yellapur-based company, Dream Logistics, had allegedly transferred Rs 2.50crore into the account of former chief minister Digambar Kamat’s close aide Nitin Naik in 2010.
Within a span of two months, Naik’s bank details showed a balance of Rs 4.50 crore.
The company that credited the huge sum of money into Naik’s account, is being investigated for allegedly selling low-grade iron ore by claiming it was of a high grade. Its officials Prakash Hegde and Vivek Hebbar were also booked for this criminal offence.
Sources further said that this amount was later transferred to multiple accounts just before the 2012 Assembly elections. IT officials are not ruling out use of this money for the 2012 election campaign.
“The amount was credited to these accounts through cheques,” an officer told Herald.
What’s even more interesting is that another Rs 70 lakh was transacted into the bank account of Naik through RTGS system. It is being probed from where and who had transferred this amount to him.
“All the transactions were in 2010 when Kamat was the Mines minister and also when the Louis Berger scam was reported. The entire chain is being investigated,” he said.
Sources said that after the information was shared with Crime Branch the raid at Naik’s residences, office and godown was carried out last week.
