2G scam: CBI court sets July 3 deadline for Anil, Tina Ambani to respond on Swan Telecom corporate structure

A Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court judge, Mr. Justice O.P. Saini, has set a July 3 deadline for Reliance ADAG chairman Anil Ambani and his wife Tina Ambani to respond to the investigating agency's questions with regard to the corporate structure of shelf companies run by them.

The deadline was set through notices issued to all of the accused in the 2G spectrum case.

The notices have been issued on a plea by the CBI to the special court looking into the 2G trial to summon Anil Ambani, Tina Ambani and 15 others as witnesses in the "interest of justice".

In a petition filed by it, CBI prosecutor U.U. Lalit said Anil Ambani and Tina Ambani's testimonies were required to find out "who was responsible for incorporation of shelf companies, including Swan Telecom, Tiger Traders, Zebra Consultants, Parrot Consultants, Giraffe Consultancy Services and their inter-locking equity structures.

It also requested some additional documents to be made part of the court records in order to strengthen its case.

The prosecutor told the court that it had unearthed links between DB Group and Reliance Communications after getting hold of documents which had details of monetary transactions from ICICI Bank. ICICI Bank maintained an account of Reliance Telecom from April 2006 to March 2009.

The Ambanis may further be able to indicate the people behind the "decision to apply for UASL license on behalf of Swan Telecom, pursuing the process of applications with DoT" and "transfer of Swan Telecom to DB Group in October 2007", the CBI told the court.

Defence counsel Vijay Aggarwal has described the move as an attempt by the CBI to strengthen its case as it knew it was on weak ground.

The prosecution has described Tina Ambani as "a person occupying an important position in the Reliance ADA Group and authorised to transact on behalf of Tiger Traders and Swan Telecom without any limit on value".

Te CBI is seeking to call other witnesses, including a former (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) advisor, some bank officials and other CFSL experts.

The prosecutor added that the CBI had recorded Anil Ambani's statement under Section 161 of the Criminal Procedure Code during the probe into the case but it was not placed before the court earlier as he was not arrayed as a prosecution witness in the case.