Louis Berger case: Goa police files charge sheet

The Crime Branch of Goa police today filed a charge sheet before Special Court in Panaji against accused former Goa PWD Minster Churchill Alemao, former Director of Water and Sewerage project Anand Wachasunder , former Louis Berger Vice-President Satyakam Mohanty, hawala operator Raychand Soni and Margao Municipal Council Chairperson Arthur D'silva in the Louis Berger bribery case.

Former executive of Louis Berger James McClung's name was also listed in the charge sheet. The US-based Louis Berger consultancy firm was also made one of the accused in the charge sheet filed by the crime branch.

All the accused were charged with various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The charge sheet contained 42 witnesses.

Former Goa chief minister Digamber Kamat's name was not included in the 482 pages charge sheet, but his name was mentioned as one of the accused in the multi-core bribery scam.

Crime branch will file a supplementary charge sheet against Kamat after interrogation. Digamber Kamat was granted anticipatory bail by the local court. The application of crime branch for the cancellation of the anticipatory bail granted to Digamber Kamat is pending before the High Court of Bombay at Goa.

Former PWD Minister Churchill Alemao and Former project director of the Goa water Supply and Sewerage project Anand Wachasunder are currently in judicial custody. Wachsundar was arrested by the crime branch on 27 July and Alemao on 5th August this year.

A special court has rejected the bail application of Wachasunder and Alemao.

The bribery scam came into light after the US department of Justice revealed that money was paid to some ministers and officials to bag consultancy deals for Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) water and sewerage project in Goa in 2010. On 21 July 2015 the Goa crime branch had registered a First Information Report in this scam.