Louis Berger Case: Former Goa Chief Minister Seeks Protection From Arrest

Panaji, Goa: Fearing arrest, Congressman and former Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat has moved a local court yesterday, seeking anticipatory bail in the 2010 Louis Berger bribery scandal where his name has cropped up for allegedly having taken bribes to grant contracts.

The court today fixed the hearing on August 7, after the police sought more time to reply to Mr Kamat's bail application.

Mr Kamat has been questioned twice by the Goa Crime Branch and has denied any involvement. He had earlier told NDTV, "Let there be an inquiry, I have absolutely not taken any bribes... The Louis Berger file never even came to me. How could I have been paid anything?"

Some executives of Louis Berger have admitted in a US court that they paid nearly USD one million to government officials to be hired as consultants for a water-and-sewage project in Goa; the company is headquartered in New Jersey.  Louis Berger officers were then summoned by the Crime Branch of the Goa Police, who claim that along with Mr Kamat, former Public Works minister, Churchill Alemao, was also paid a kickback. Mr Alemao has denied any wrong doing.

However, two Berger officials have revealed to the police that the bribes paid to the leaders was to the tune of USD 976,000 in cash. To make the case water-tight, the police is recording their statements before a magistrate, so that even if the officials turn hostile during the trial later, their testimonies will still have evidentiary value.

So far the Goa police have arrested two people, project director, A Wachasundar and the former Vice President of Louis Berger, Satyakam Mohanty.

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

Louis Berger was part of a consortium for the Goa project, and their 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.