Seven people, including Louis Berger officials summoned by ED

By NewsGram Staff Writer

Panaji: Seven people, including Louis Berger officials and one alleged hawala operator were issued summons by The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday.

The summons were issued in relation with a money laundering case filed in connection with the international bribery scandal involving the global consultancy company alongwith Goa's politicians and bureaucrats.

Talking to reporters, a senior official of ED said that Satyakam Mohanty, Maladi Shivarama and Sanjay Jindal (former Louis Berger officials), Raichand Soni, an alleged hawala operator and three others were issued summons to appear before ED officials in Goa.

The ED officials have filed an Enforcement Case Investigation Record, following the bribery scandal.

Former Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, along with the then state public works department minister Churchill Alemao and other government officials have been accused of allegedly accepting a $976,630 bribe in 2010 from officials of US-based Louis Berger consultancy firm.

The bribe was allegedly taken to secure implementation rights of a multi-billion dollar water and sewerage project in Goa worth Rs.1,031 crore funded by the Japan International Co-Operation Agency (JICA), cleared in 2010 by a Congress-led coalition government.

While Alemao has been arrested, Kamat is currently out on anticipatory bail.

Soni, Mohanty and now former JICA director Anand Wachasundar have already been arrested by the Goa Police Crime Branch which is investigating the bribery case.

(With inputs from IANS)