'Goa's top transport dept officials named in bribery case'

A peon from the Goa Transport Department, who was recently arrested for accepting a bribe, has named top ranking officials in the case, a senior official said today.
Dattaram Gaude, who worked as a peon with Transport Director Arun Dessai, was arrested by ACB on August 28 while accepting a bribe of Rs one lakh in the department.
According to an ACB officer, the peon had named some officials of the Transport Department in the voice clip that was secretly recorded by the complainant before laying the trap for his arrest.
"The voice clip will be sent for forensic examination in CBI's laboratory in Chandigarh. The complainant had recorded the voice of the peon while he was demanding bribe. The peon said he was seeking money at the behest of some high-level officers," Superintendent of Police (ACB) Bosco George told PTI today.

However, the officer refused to reveal the names claiming that the investigations are yet to verify the authenticity of his statement.
The complainant, who is also working in the same department, had told the ACB before laying the trap that the peon had demanded the bribe on behalf of the State Transport Director and a Deputy Director to shut the departmental inquiry against him.

George said, "The police are investigating all the possibilities, but will take action only if there is a proof against any officer."
The ACB yesterday recorded the statement of the peon under section 164 of CrPC in front of magistrate, but its are kept under wraps.

"I would not like to comment on the statement given by the peon. But his statement is important to decide the future course of investigation," the SP said.
George said for peon to be accepting bribe, when he is not in a position to influence the inquiry, raises questions based on which the investigation would be conducted.