PANJIM: Louis Berger International Inc has challenged the Crime Branch (CB) notice seeking documents pertaining to the bribery case, calling it ‘bad in law’ and ‘a total non-application of mind’.
During arguments before the Division Bench of the High Court of Bombay at Goa on Wednesday, the US firm asserted it is cooperating with CB’s investigation even as it criticized the notice. The company, along with ‘a (former) minister in Government of Goa’, is accused in CB’s FIR registered on July 21.
CB had sought to produce the report of the internal inquiry conducted by the company with respect of financial misconduct or bribery in respect of JICA projects undertaken in the State; names, designation, addresses, tenure of officials deputed for JICA projects in Goa and list of vendors, agents, intermediaries engaged or paid by Louis Berger with respect to JICA projects besides communication details held with then JICA project director Anand Wachasundar.
The petition filed through the company’s senior official Ivan Keogh, challenged the notice stating, “It is nothing but an abuse of process of law and the summons therefore deserves to be dismissed in limine.”
The lawyer told the HC Bench comprising Justices F M Reis and K L Wadhane that it has agreed to cooperate with the investigating agency as and when required and pointed out that during the course of the investigation, the company was prompt to furnish information based on CB’s earlier request.
The prosecution led by PP S R Rivokar submitted that the investigating agency will not press upon the notice to supply the documents for the next three weeks. The court thereafter fixed the matter for further hearing after this period.
