Aircel-Maxis row: CBI team to meet Malaysian AG, SC told

NEW DELHI: A CBI team is heading for Malaysia tomorrow and will meet its Attorney General in connection with the overseas probe into the Aircel-Maxis deal involving former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran and Kuala Lumpur-based business tycoon T Ananda Krishnan, the Supreme Court was informed today.

"The Attorney General of Malaysia has given appointment to the CBI team on March 21 and will discuss the issues contained in the letters rogatory," senior advocate K K Venugopal, appearing for the CBI, told the bench comprising justices G S Singhvi and K S Radhakrishnan, who are monitoring the probe into the 2G spectrum scam.

The bench also asked the CBI, Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax Department to respond to the CVC comment on the status report relating to the probe into the Aircel-Maxis deal, allocation of additional spectrum involving Airtel, Vodafone and others and about the overseas investigation into the 2G scam.

The bench also gave a brief hearing to the plea of Janata Party Subramanian Swamy, who accused Maran of indulging in armtwisting in the sale of the stakes of Aircel to Maxis Group of Malaysia.

The CBI told the court that it has completed the domestic investigations into the deal.

Earlier on November 7 last, the agency had said the overseas probe was being delayed due to the influence of the firm's owner in Malaysia who is "powerful politically".

Maran has been accused of "forcing" Chennai-based telecom promoter C Sivasankaran to sell the stake in Aircel to a Malaysian firm Maxis Group in 2006 owned by Ananda Krishnan.

The agency had submitted that overseas probe was important to track the money trail as the funds for the deal had come through Mauritius.