CBI registers case against former Finmin bureaucrat

CBI has registered an FIR against a former senior Finance Ministry bureaucrat J S Maini and his familiy members for allegedly receiving bribe of USD one million (about Rs.6.4 crore) in a joint venture deal between cooperative Kribhco and Norwegian fertiliser major 'Yara' in 2007.
CBI had last year started an inquiry into alleged pay-off of one million USD to Maini and his son by the Norwegian company for securing a joint venture with Krishak Bharati Co-operative Limited (Kribhco) in 2007.
Agency sources said here today that CBI has registered a case against Maini, then Additional Secretary in Finance Ministry, his two sons and their wives.

CBI spokesperson Kanchan Prasad said a case has been registered under the provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act and 120B (criminal conspiracy)under the IPC.
"Searches were conducted at two places in Delhi and one place in Chandigarh. Incriminating documents have been seized," she said.
The agency had started preliminary enquiry based on statements from Yara and Norwegian prosecution agency Okokrim in this regard, naming Maini and his son as suspects.

It is alleged that transfer of over USD one million had taken place in the offshore accounts believed to be of Maini and his family members.
Yara had accepted 270 million NOK penalty imposed by Okokrim on the alleged payoffs made to a "consultant" for an unrealised project in India.

"Our acknowledgement of guilt and acceptance of a fine reflect that the Okokrim findings are in line with those of our own investigation. The penalty is severe but we accept it," Bernt Reitan, Chairman of the Board of Yara International ASA had said in a statement.
The company was negotiating with Kribhco during 2006-07 for setting up a joint venture project. In April 2011, Yara International appointed law firm Wiersholm to conduct an external investigation in this matter.
Yara in June 2012 had released the main findings of the investigation which said that "an unacceptable payment of USD one million in 2007 to a consultant in India is documented, related to negotiations with Kribhco."

The allegations had been denied by Kribhco which had said that its officials were not involved in any wrongdoing with Yara, which was fined USD 48 million by the Norwegian investigation agency National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (Okokrim).