PANJIM: Abused and insulted by former PWD minister Churchill Alemao and sacked JICA project director Anand Wachasundar, ex-Louis Berger employee Shiv Ram Prasad Malladi has admitted that he was used as a courier to deliver the bribe amount to Alemao and former chief minister Digambar Kamat.
In his confessional statement before Judicial Magistrate Saee Prabhudessai, Malladi said how he was forced to work at the instance of another witness and former regional director of the US-based company in India, Sanjay Jindal, only to save his job.
“I was only used by Jindal as a courier and I do not have any role in the incident. I was used as a scapegoat and I did work at his instructions only to save my job,” the statement, a copy of which is in possession of Herald, says.
Malladi also exposed the modus operandi of the corruption activity involving both former ministers and alleged hawala operator Raichand Soni among others.
The ‘deeply hurt’ witness also narrated on the embarrassment he faced only because Alemao was paid Rs 40,000 less out of the total bribe amount delivered to him.
“Wachasundar took the bag containing cash of Rs 10-15 lakh from me and kept it on the table. Thereafter, he opened the bag, took out the cash and kept it on the table. Alemao immediately took the cash and kept it in the drawer,” he said adding, “… Alemao took out the cash from his drawer and told me to count and show the cash. I counted the bundles and found shortage of Rs 40,000 cash as four bundles of Rs 100 were missing. Alemao abused me in filthy language and questioned me what happened to the cash and whether I have eaten it.”
“Saala tumne ek laakh rupiya kabhi dekha nahi zindagi mein,” is what Alemao yelled at Malladi.
“Wachasundar was also very critical, insulted me and accused me of keeping the cash. He asked me to get out (of the room where the trio had met at the official residence of PWD minister). I waited outside and I was deeply hurt. Wachasundar came out and as we were leaving he told me to give the balance Rs 40,000. I asked him why should I as I did what I was told to do. He told me to bring the some (sum) and give it back and I told him that I do not have the money,” Malladi said further.
The entire bribery episode was hidden from the technical head of the JICA project Phillip Fields at the instance of Jindal. “Fields was not aware about the exchange of money… I was also afraid that if he comes to know, my character will be affected as he trusted me,” he said in the deposition.
Malladi later informed Jindal about the harassment he faced, who in turn asked the former to contact MD of Shah Consultancy Prasanna Shah. “…He (Jindal) told me not to worry… Shah also told me not to worry and that this was Alemao’s nature,” he stated, further mentioning that he then decided to walk out of the job before actually quitting in February 2013.
The ‘courier boy’ had thrice collected the bribe amount from Soni and once from Mukesh Bharti to pay to the former ministers through Jindal, Wachasundar and Shah.
Meanwhile, Jindal too expressed displeasure on being involved by his superiors in the bribery racket. In his confessional statement to the magistrate, he explained that every move of his to pay the bribe amount to Kamat and Alemao was at the instance of his superiors.
“There were some commitments made by the partners to the (then) minister and (then) chief minister in Goa in respect of this project and as directed by my superiors I was coordinating the delivery of cash to both. Such delivery has been done on four occasions,” he said.
“I was not comfortable doing this work and I had expressed my anxiety to my superiors. I had to take treatment for about six months… T Horikawa who was representing the lead partner Nihonsuido Consultancy Japan and Dr Uday Kelkar of NJS Consultancy were also aware of all these things. They were coming to Goa very often.”
As a result of all this, Jindal and Malladi were desperately looking out for another job.
