Continuing their ‘offence’ against the BJP over the louis Berger bribery revelations, the Congress, whose former Ministers are in the dock for allegedly receiving bribes in 2010, on Tuesday challenged the Government to file an FIR within 48 hours.
On a day when the Goa Police Crime Branch questioned a key official linked to the louis and Berger, Congress spokesperson Sunil Kawthankar accused the BJP-led coalition Government of going slow on its own demand for a CBI probe and in turn accused the global consultancy firm of ‘striking a deal’ with the ruling party in the State to water down the investigation.
“We are giving the BJP Government in Goa 48 hours to file a First Information Report and speed up the Crime Branch probe. The filing of the FIR has already been delayed by a couple of days, if the FIR is not filed by Thursday we will come on to the streets and protest,” Kawthankar said.
The roles of former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat and PWD Minister Churchill Alemao, both a part of the Congress-led coalition Government’s Cabinet, have come under the scanner after louis Berger Group pleaded guilty to bribing officials and politicians to get contracts in Goa, Assam in India and several other countries.
Both Kamat and Alemao have denied the allegation.“I am not involved in anyway, neither is any Minister of my Government. All procedures were followed in the case,” Kamat has said.
Churchill on Tuesday said he wasn’t even aware a consultant was invited.louis Berger Group had pleaded guilty to bribing Government officials and politicians in several countries including India.
In its report the US department of Justice has, however, not identified the politicians and officials who were offered bribes but named the projects they secured.