ED grills Darbari on CWG payout

The Enforcement Directorate on Monday questioned sacked the CWG Organising Committee joint director-general, Mr T.S. Darbari. for six hours even as the Lok Sabha saw the Opposition demanding a joint parliamentary committee to probe the allegations of corruption in the Commonwealth Games. The government said the irregularities would be inquired into “exhaustively” and the corrupt pursued till the “ends of the earth”.

Official sources said the ED may interrogate some more members of the OC and officials of other agencies, like the Indian Olympic Association, over alleged financial irregularities.

Sources stated that Mr Darbari, a close aide of the CWGOC chairman, Mr Suresh Kalmadi, has told investigators that his role was limited to liaison and execution of contracts and is understood to have denied during questioning his role in any of the irregularities. Mr Darbari is understood to have told the ED that he had no role in signing any contracts and that he would provide documents to support his case.

Official sources said that based on the leads received from the questioning of Mr Darbari, some more OC officials are likely to be questioned. Mr Darbari was summoned to explain certain financial transactions undertaken in connection with the Queen’s Baton relay in London last year. The ED has registered a case under the Foreign Exchange Management Act in this regard.

“All documents brought by Darbari related to monetary transactions and grant of contracts to different agencies in London will be scrutinised by the agency,” an ED official said. This was done in the wake of the British authorities referring to the Indian High Commission a matter regarding AM Films to which a large sum of money was transferred through the Royal Bank of Scotland. The authorities in London have already begun a probe into the dealings of the firm.

In the Lok Sabha, the Union urban development minister, Mr S. Jaipal Reddy, said that every aspect of the allegations would be looked into and the corrupt pursued till the “end of the earth”. He also appealed to all shades in the House to cooperate in ensuring the successful organisation of the mega event.

Intervening during the debate, Mr Reddy said, “We all know that the CVC and other constitutional bodies do their respective jobs, but if every primary observation is blown out of proportion to the extent of a scam then we cannot function. I don’t say that corruption has not taken place. All irregularities will be inquired into exhaustively.”

Debunking the claims made by members from the Opposition benches that Rs 1 lakh crores has been used for the games, the minister said a total of Rs 28,054 crore has been spent on the Games of which Rs 16,560 crore was being spent by the Delhi government for upgrading infrastructure in the national capital.Earlier, initiating the debate on the issue in the Lok Sabha, the BJP’s Kirti Azad referred to the recommendations of the CVC and said several government departments have been charged with irregularities. He also criticised various departments for cost escalation to the tune of 513 per cent.

Suggesting that a probe into the alleged irregularities could not be postponed till the Games are over, the JD(U) president, Mr Sharad Yadav, said the present situation gives the impression that management of the CWG is “no longer the hands of either the Central or the Delhi government”.

The RJD supremo, Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav said, “Each penny should be accounted for. A parliamentary committee should be formed to inquire into the allegation.”