The louis Berger bribery scandal notched its first political casualty in form of former PWD Minister Churchill Alemao who was arrested late on Wednesday night by the Goa Police Crime Branch.
He was produced before a special anti-corruption court earlier on Thursday and remanded to four days police custody. His bail petition would be heard by the District and Sessions Court on Friday
Police have claimed that they have adequate prima facie evidence against Alemao in the $976,630 louis Berger International bribery scandal and that he was one of the alleged recipients of the bribe.
Goa Police claimed to have “clinching evidence” against Alemao who contended that his arrest was part of a “political game”, a charge rejected by Chief Minister laxmikant Parsekar, heading the BJP-led Government in Goa. A senior Crime Branch official, requesting annonymity, said, “Alemao was arrested as we got clinching evidence against him after interrogating other accused. We might need custodial interrogation of Kamat too.
Alemao was the Minister for Public Works when a louis Berger led consortium bagged a consultancy contract, a water supply and sewerage project, worth Rs 1,031 crore-odd, taken on loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
“It’s a political game. They are harassing me. I said will come (to the Crime Branch) anytime but they still arrested me. I am innocent. I have not robbed anything. Why should I confess or apply for anticipatory bail,” a visibly tired Alemao said outside a special anti-corruption court in Panaji.
Alemao is a former Chief Minister and has been detained under the National Security in the past.
Meanwhile, Enforcement Directorate on Thursday registered a money laundering FIR in louis Berger bribery case to probe charges of bribing Indian officials with several crores of rupees to win a major water developmental project in Guwahati.