The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday filed a supplementary chargesheet against former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, his son Karti and 16 others in the Aircel-Maxis deal case, alleging criminal conspiracy and corruption.
Mr. Chidambaram, on his Twitter handle, said the agency had been pressured into filing the chargesheet to “support a preposterous allegation against me and officers with a sterling reputation.” He said he would not make any more public comment.
“The case is now before the Hon’ble Court and it will be contested vigorously,” the former Finance Minister said.
The chargesheet was filed before Special CBI judge O.P. Saini, who fixed July 31 for considering the same.
IPC, PCA invoked
The agency has invoked provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act against the accused.
Among those arraigned are the then Economic Affairs Secretary Ashok Kumar Jha and Additional Secretary Ashok Chawla, besides then Joint Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna and Director Deepak Kumar Singh (serving IAS officer).
The then Under Secretary Ram Sharan, A. Palaniappan, Chess Management Services Holding Limited and Advantage Strategic Consulting, Malaysian companies Astro All Asia Network, Maxis Mobile, Bumi Armada Berhad and Bumi Armada Navigation, T. Anandakrishnan, Augustus Ralph Marshall, Bhaskar Raman and V. Srinivasan have also been named, said the CBI.
The charges are based on a CBI probe into a Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval in March 2006 to investments in Aircel by the Mauritius-based Global Communication Services Holdings Limited, a subsidiary of Maxis.
The agency has alleged that while on paper, a proposed influx of ₹180 crore at the rate of ₹10 per share was shown, the premium attached to it was not considered.
The CBI alleged that the actual amount that came in was more than ₹3,200 crore.
The then Finance Minister was empowered to clear foreign investments only up to ₹600 crore and the proposals beyond the threshold had to be sent to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, according to the agency. “The matter was actively discussed by the government officials concerned and there was due application of mind. The file notings show that the Finance Minister was aware of all developments,” said an official.
The agency alleged that the investment was cleared on March 13, 2006, and an invoice was raised by Advantage Strategic to Aircel on March 29, 2006, for which the company was paid ₹26 lakh by cheque ostensibly for market survey.
According to the CBI, Chess Management was also paid ₹87 lakh by a Maxis associate in instalments. The company told the agency that the payment was made for supplying one ELCM software package. However, the CBI alleged, it could not provide a copy of the software.
Mr. Chidambaram and his son have on many occasions refuted the charges, stating that they were not even named in the FIR, that the CBI/ED charge sheets have already been quashed and the accused persons discharged. The former Minister had said FIPB clearance to the Aircel-Maxis deal was given as per procedure.
