How much bribe did Parrikar Govt take from Berger?: Churchill

ZEESHAN SHAIKH/EI, PANAJI | 23 July 2015 18:08 IST

Former Goa PWD minister Churchill Alemao has attacked Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and the BJP over allegations involving US firm Louis Berger, asking why the ruling party had signed the same firm for the Mopa International Airport project.

“The consultancy firm was paid Rs 14 crore for the Mopa project. The government should tell people how much commission it received. If the government acknowledges that Louis Berger gives bribe to win projects, the same thing would have happened for Mopa as well. That project needs to be investigated too,” Alemao told The Indian Express.

“If the honourable Defence Minister claims to know so much, why did he hire the same consultancy for the Mopa project?” he added.

Parikkar had recently hinted that bribes were paid by the firm to two former ministers in the state. The US firm has been accused of bribing India officials for securing projects in two states — Goa and Assam.

Alemao said he did not fear any probe and his conscience was clean. “I am ready to face any inquiry, be it CBI or any other agency. I challenge the BJP government to prove these charges against me.”

He added, “I do not recognise any official from Louis Berger. They never met me. All the contracts were given as per rules. The entire process was handled by engineers of the technical department of PWD. I had no role to play. As per rules, once the technical department processes the tender, the file goes to the Chief Minister.”

Alemao said that Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar’s direction to the state crime branch to probe the matter was inadequate, and the CBI needed to be roped in.

Asked if he meant that officials had taken bribes, Alemao said he was not aware. “You should ask the BJP government. How will I know if engineers took bribes?” he said.

Targeting Parrikar, Alemao said, “The defence minister comes to Goa every Saturday and Sunday and misguides the people. The state had a debt of Rs 8,000 crore when the Congress demitted office and Parrikar took it to Rs 13,000 crore. He created a propaganda that our government had caused a Rs 35,000 crore loss to the exchequer in the mining scam. Why was he not able to recover that amount when he was in power? The defence minister has a habit of making U-turns,” he said.

Alemao has had cases of smuggling filed against him and his family. He was also briefly arrested in 1994 on smuggling charges. In 1990 he became the first Catholic Chief Minister of Goa, albeit for only 18 days. Since then, he has been in and out of the Congress three times.

He was PWD minister between 2007 to 2012 and was accused of corruption.

Original Report


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Previous Comments

CM for 18 days......wow that's a very long time. Ha HA.

Churchills own Newspaper adverts now portray him as Ex CHIEF MINISTER OF Goa.

Surely, he must be acknowledged or given a Merit in the Guinness Book of Records!!

But don`t mention his ace smuggling activities.

- The Joker, UK | 23 rd July 2015 21:37

 

Why make allegations? The Americans are willing to inform the names of the ministers who took the bribe. Govt of India should officially ask them.

- Francisco Lourenco, Goa | 23 rd July 2015 20:05

 

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