Louis Berger bribery case: Goa court rejects ex-PWD minister Churchill Alemao's bail plea

PANAJI: A local court today rejected the bail plea of Goa's former Public Works Department Minister Churchill Alemao arrested in connection with the Louis Berger bribery case.

District Judge B P Deshpande rejected the bail application of Alemao.

Alemao was arrested on the night of August 5 by the state Crime Branch.

He was the state PWD minister when officials of the US-based company Louis Berger allegedly paid bribes to win consultancy for water augmentation and sewerage pipeline project under Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

He was arrested under various sections of Prevention of Corruption Act and 120 (B) of the Indian Penal Code, police had earlier said.

Alemao, however, had maintained that the allegations were politically motivated.

Apart from Alemao, three others - former vice president of Louis Berger Satyakam Mohanty, head of JICA-aided project in Goa Anand Wachasunder and alleged hawala dealer Raychand Soni - were earlier arrested by the police in connection with the bribery scandal.

Former state Chief Minister Digambar Kamat was also questioned twice by the investigators in connection with the case.

Fearing arrest in the case, Kamat earlier moved the district court for anticipatory bail.

The arguments on his bail plea are over and the court is scheduled to pronounce its order on August 19.