PANJIM: Crime Branch (CB) has stumbled upon a revelation that could spell more trouble to former JICA project director Anand Wachasundar, who has been arrested in the Louis Berger bribery case.
Sources said before his arrest on July 27, Wachasundar had prepared a reply to an RTI application made by former chief minister Digambar Kamat over the missing notings concerning the project, and subsequently called for a meeting of JICA officials to inform them about submitting the same response to the applicant.
“Kamat had submitted an RTI application on July 23 seeking information regarding all files with notings concerning the appointment of project management consulting for JICA project. The application was forwarded to the office of JICA project director on July 24 following which Wachasundar called an urgent meeting of all concerned officers in his chamber. He told them to furnish the urgent reply prepared by him and issue documents as requested,” a CB officer told Herald.
The officers were Superintending Engineer G M Naik Parrikar, Surveyor of Works Udaykumar Mandewalkar, Assistant surveyor of works Laxmikant Chodankar and office superintendent Parab.
This, sources said, was the first attempt to prepare a forged response in favour of Kamat, which was heeded to by the subordinates. After Wachasundar’s arrest, Kamat filed another RTI application in August with the same queries. Here, his close aide, Margao Municipal Council Chairperson Arthur D’Silva influenced the JICA officials for similar reply.
The senior officer said that Mandewalkar, whose statement under Section 164 CrPC was recorded last weekend corroborates this. “The same wrong information that all the original files with notings related to JICA project are not available in this office as the same have been taken by CB, was furnished to Kamat to facilitate arguments during anticipatory bail hearings in the special court,” he added.
Taking cognizance of the manipulated reply, the CB had separately booked the trio – Kamat, Mandewalkar, D’Silva – for destruction of evidence under Section 201 of the IPC.
Wachasundar, who has been in custody for 35 days so far, has applied for fresh bail. CB has opposed it on grounds that he has not been cooperating with the investigation and there is likelihood he would interfere with witnesses and evidence.
Calling him a marginally noted accused, CB sources said Wachasundar has admitted to witnessing Louis Berger executives paying the bribe to Kamat and former PWD minister Churchill Alemao in 2010. The special court will hear his bail application on Thursday.
