BASURI DESAI
basuri@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Bossuet Silva, the inquiry officer of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, probing irregularities and possible corruption against A V Deshpande, IPS was “shocked” to see a noting on the case inserted by his boss SP Bosco George that he (Silva) had suggested that an inquiry already conducted by the DIG Renganathan should be treated as conclusive.
Sources in the office of Director Vigilance Amarsen Rane, revealed that Rane, after receiving a note from the SP ACB Bosco George, on June 19, recommending closing down the inquiry asked for Silva to meet him. When Silva learnt of his purported statement, he said that he has neither mentioned it on file nor has he orally stated this to the SP ACB.
Silva, under tremendous pressure from SP George to close the case, has stepped back. He has informed both the SP and the DIG that he should be allowed to recuse himself from the case and it should be handed over to any other inquiry officer. He has not, as reported in a section of the press, stated that the DIG’s report be treated as conclusive. Silva has stuck to a narrow path of merely stating what the DIG report mentioned.
Herald, now being accused of false propaganda by SP Bosco George, had first exposed the role of PTS Principal A V Deshpande on April 23, 2015 of gross irregularities while tendering the electrical work at PTS Valpoi and other financial misdeeds. Following Herald’s report social activist Aires Rodrigues filed the petition to take up the case of PTS sou moto to the director Vigilance. Based on the petition, the Vigilance director directed ACB to register PE (Preliminary Inquiry) on the same day, and after a week’s time, followed by CS’s consent, the PE was registered.
