This Article is From Jul 29, 2015

Goa 'WaterGate': Digambar Kamat, Congressman, Denies Bribes as Chief Minister

Goa 'WaterGate': Digambar Kamat, Congressman, Denies Bribes as Chief Minister

Former Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat has denied taking a bribe for the water and sewage project.

Congressman Digambar Kamat has denied that as Chief Minister of Goa, he accepted a bribe from a US firm in 2010 as testified by executives from the company for a Goa magistrate just two days ago.

"Let there be an inquiry, I have absolutely not taken any bribes," Mr Kamat told NDTV today, adding that he is meeting investigators today to answer their questions.

Five years ago, Louis Berger, a company headquartered in New Jersey, paid nearly a million dollars to be hired as consultants for a water-and-sewage project in Goa, its executives have admitted in a US court. Louis Berger officers were then summoned by the Crime Branch of the Goa Police. Along with Mr Kamat, they said Churchill Alemao, who was the Public Works Minister, was paid a kickback. Mr Alemao has denied any wrong doing.

The Congress was voted out of power in the state in 2012, when the BJP won the election.

"The Louis Berger file never even came to me," said Mr Kamat, the former Chief Minister, to NDTV today.  "How could I have been paid anything?"

Louis Berger was part of a consortium for the Goa project. Its executives have told a US judge that they maintained a detailed account listing the bribes that were paid in Goa and for another project in Guwahati. The Goa Crime Branch has asked for copies of those documents.
 
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