Louis Berger case: HC rejects Churchill Alemao's bail plea

PANAJI: The Bombay High Court today rejected the bail plea of former state Public Works Department Minister Churchill Alemao, arrested in connection with Louis Berger bribery case.

Alemao, 66, who is currently lodged in Colvale jail, had applied for bail in the Goa bench of Bombay High Court.

The former minister had claimed that the lower court had granted anticipatory bail to former Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, who is booked by the Crime Branch on same charges in the same case. However, the single bench of Justice K L Wadhane refused to grant any relief to Alemao and dismissed his petition.

The district court had earlier rejected his bail pleas twice.

Goa Crime Branch is investigating the allegations of bribery by the US-based Louis Berger company to win consultancy for sewerage and water treatment project in Goa under Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) funding.

The bribe had allegedly been paid when Alemao was the PWD minister. He was arrested on August 5 by Crime Branch and has been behind bars ever since.