Team Herald
PANJIM: Crime Branch (CB) has charged Louis Berger’s former vice president Satyakam Mohanty of allegedly facilitating the flow of money from the company’s headquarters into Goa. The former official, remanded to three days custodial interrogation, has submitted that he had exposed corruption in his former company.
Mohanty was arrested on Monday afternoon after going through two rounds of questioning before the CB. In his submission before Principal Sessions Judge B P Deshpande, Mohanty denied all charges levelled by the CB and claimed he acted as whistleblower to expose bribes being paid in Goa.
“He (Mohanty) had complained against his former employers about paying-off money into this State. He never met any minister or ever came to Goa,” his lawyer said.
Mohanty has demanded to know from the investigation agency as to why the company’s Sameer Jindal is still not on the CB radar and neither are the other three companies – Neon Sudo and N J S Consultants Company Ltd, both Japanese based, and Shah Consultancy.
The Japanese firm is the lead partner in the JICA project.
None others are taken into custody,” the defence counsel argued, opposing the prosecution’s plea seeking police remand of Mohanty for three days.
The prosecution led by Public Prosecutor Prasad Kirtani alleged Mohanty’s direct involvement in the bribery case stating he paid bribes to Goan officials (including ex-ministers) on behalf of the company. “Money (bribe) was delivered through him,” Kirtani said.
The defence contested the argument stating that Mohanty has no access to any files in the company and that he had resigned from the US firm in 2011 citing corrupt practices.
“His company did not accept his resignation. In 2012, the company chose him to pursue higher studies in London (London School of Economics),” he stated. Speaking to Herald after the hearing, the advocate confirmed that Mohanty’s resignation was accepted later while also reiterating that his client does not have access to any project-related files. On hearing the argument, the court remanded him to three days in police custody.
