I'm falsely implicated in Louis Berger case: Digambar Kamat tells court

PANAJI: A Goa court today adjourned by a day the hearing on the anticipatory bail plea filed by former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat in the Louis Berger bribery case even as he accused the police of falsely implicating him in the case at the behest of BJP government in the state.

"There is a clear mandate to the police by the state government to falsely implicate me in this case," Kamat said in the rejoinder submitted before the District Court in which he sought anticipatory bail.

Kamat also sought to know whether the police inspector-level officer was authorised to investigate a case under Prevention of Corruption Act. "The entire investigation (in the case) is being conducted by a police inspector," Kamat said.

The crime branch is currently investigating the case against Kamat, former State PWD Minister Churchill Alemao and others in connection with the bribery case involving the US-based company.

The crime branch has in the past said that the crucial file related to the appointment of consultant has gone missing.

However, in the rejoinder filed today, Kamat has attached a reply filed under Right to Information (RTI) Act, which states that the file is still in the Panaji office of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) which has funded the project.

The US company Louis Berger allegedly bribed Ministers to win consultancy for water augmentation and sewerage line project executed under JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) funding. JICA Goa Project Director A Wachasunder has been arrested in the case.

Hearing for the anticipatory bail plea was adjourned for the day today after Advocate Surendra Dessai, appearing for Kamat, stated that the crime branch refused to give the copy of the FIR.

Dessai said that the crime branch asked for 30 days time to furnish the FIR.