Team Herald
PANJIM: As the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has set a deadline to file a charge sheet into the main mining scam within four weeks, the questioning of suspects, witnesses, etc is being carried out on a daily basis. Two mine traders – Prasanna Ghotage and Jacob Philip – have undergone many rounds of interrogation in the last couple of days.
“We are questioning many traders and others linked to the illegal activity every day. Ghotage and Philip have been questioned four to six times so far,” an officer told Herald.
Ghotage, of PVG group and a Karnataka-based iron ore exporter is among the new names that emerged in the controversial Panama Papers. He was quizzed last week for his role in the procurement of unaccounted iron ore worth more than Rs 500 crore.
He had earlier been arrested but later released on bail on cheating charges. He was quizzed on Monday as well. Philip is also undergoing several rounds of questioning while SIT’s plea for cancellation of bail – in the same offence – is being heard in the local court.
SIT claims to have unearthed evidence against the alleged accused regarding the transactions, etc related to the Rs 35,000 crore mining scam.
SIT SP Kartik Kashyap had last week said they are likely to file a charge sheet in this case within four weeks.
Like other cases, which have been chargesheeted, SIT claims that several high profile people are involved in the offence and are being investigated.
