Goa police are contemplating conducting a narco-analysis test on the main accused in the louis Berger bribery case including former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, PWD Minister Churchill Alemao and former JICA project director as part of their investigations into the scam.
The Crime Branch officials have said that they have sought permission from the Home Department and will also be approaching the special court for permission. The narco test will be conducted by a Central Government forensic facility in Hyderabad.
“The accused are still resisting questioning. The narco tests will help us build a more solid co-relation between the three accused who are part of the bribery crime,” the official alleged, requesting anonymity.
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 construction consultancy firm to secure contracts for the water and sewerage augmentation project in Goa worth Rs 1031 crore funded by the Japan International Co-Operation Agency (JICA), which was cleared in 2010 by a Congress-led coalition Government.
While Kamat was given bail by the special court, Alemao was denied bail and his appeal before the Bombay High Court at Goa has been rejected. Police have already charge sheeted the case naming Churchill Alemao, Anand Wachasunder (director of the tainted project) James McClung (fomer Asia head of louis Berger) Satyakam Mahanty (former India head of louis Berger) Richand Soni (alleged hawala operator) Arthur Dsilva(a Digambar Kamat aide) as accused, while Kamat himself has been listed as a suspect but not charge sheeted yet.