CBI Says Favours To Voda, Airtel Led To 846Cr Loss
New Delhi: Nearly two years after the CBI began probing spectrum allocation during the NDA regime, the agency on Friday filed a chargesheet in a case of corruption against telecom firms Airtel and Vodafone and ex-telecom secretary Shyamal Ghosh. The chargesheet claimed the allocation of airwaves during late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan’s term as communications minister had caused a loss of Rs 846 crore.
The CBI estimate is 66% higher than the Rs 508-crore loss mentioned in the FIR and the agency’s report to the JPC on telecom issues, including the 2G scam. The CBI said Ghosh, with Mahajan and the telecom firms, had abused his position to show undue favours to the companies, causing a loss of Rs 846.44 crore.
CBI’S CLAIMS
Then telecom secy Shyamal Ghosh, in conspiracy with Pramod Mahajan and telecom firms, gave undue favours to Airtel & Vodafone, causing a loss of 846cr
Ghosh ‘deliberately’ did not obtain comments of then member (finance) of DoT despite huge financial implications
SPECTRUMPED
CBI chargesheet gives clean chit to telco promoters
New Delhi: The CBI, in its chargesheet on spectrum allocation, has said former NDA minister Pramod Mahajan, former telecom secretary Shyamal Ghosh and telecom firms had colluded to cause a loss of Rs 846 crore to the exchequer. It said that there was an undue gain to telecom companies, including incidental benefit to other telecom firms, by charging an additional 1% of AGR (adjusted gross revenues) instead of charging the required additional 2% AGR for allocation of additional spectrum from 6.2 Mhz to 10 Mhz.
The chargesheet, accessed by TOI, added that former telecom secretary “Shyamal Ghosh ‘deliberately’ and with ‘mala fide intention’ did not obtain the comments of then member (finance) of DoT despite the issue involving huge financial implications. The wireless advisor, who was the custodian of the entire spectrum, was also intentionally bypassed on flimsy grounds that he was retiring on that very day i.e. on January 31, 2002”.
In defence, Ghosh reportedly told the JPC that the issue of allocating spectrum was pending since 2000 and he could not, contrary to what CBI the has said, be accused of delaying the decision.
On the charge that the decision was rushed through in a single day, Ghosh reportedly said it was based on information developed over more than a year. Telecom regulator Trai had said that it would consider additional licences only if problems of existing operators were addressed.
Ghosh also argued that the extension of revenue sharing set at 2% for additional 5Mhz would be 4% for additional 10Mhz. The CBI named three telecom firms—Bharti Cellular Ltd, Hutchison Max Pvt Ltd (now Vodafone India Ltd) and Sterling Cellular Ltd (now Vodafone Mobile Service Ltd) —as accused.
Ghosh and the firms have been accused of criminal conspiracy and violating provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Although the agency named the firms in the chargesheet, it said it could not find anything against their promoters. The agency accused Mahajan of conspiring with Ghosh to benefit the private players, but said no action was proposed as he is dead. Jagdish Rai Gupta, who was then deputy director general in-charge of value added services, has been made an approver in the case.
Courtesy:
Neeraj Chauhan & Abhinav Garg TNN
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIM/2012/12/22&PageLabel=3&EntityId=Ar00303&ViewMode=HTML
New Delhi: Nearly two years after the CBI began probing spectrum allocation during the NDA regime, the agency on Friday filed a chargesheet in a case of corruption against telecom firms Airtel and Vodafone and ex-telecom secretary Shyamal Ghosh. The chargesheet claimed the allocation of airwaves during late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan’s term as communications minister had caused a loss of Rs 846 crore.
The CBI estimate is 66% higher than the Rs 508-crore loss mentioned in the FIR and the agency’s report to the JPC on telecom issues, including the 2G scam. The CBI said Ghosh, with Mahajan and the telecom firms, had abused his position to show undue favours to the companies, causing a loss of Rs 846.44 crore.
CBI’S CLAIMS
Then telecom secy Shyamal Ghosh, in conspiracy with Pramod Mahajan and telecom firms, gave undue favours to Airtel & Vodafone, causing a loss of 846cr
Ghosh ‘deliberately’ did not obtain comments of then member (finance) of DoT despite huge financial implications
SPECTRUMPED
CBI chargesheet gives clean chit to telco promoters
New Delhi: The CBI, in its chargesheet on spectrum allocation, has said former NDA minister Pramod Mahajan, former telecom secretary Shyamal Ghosh and telecom firms had colluded to cause a loss of Rs 846 crore to the exchequer. It said that there was an undue gain to telecom companies, including incidental benefit to other telecom firms, by charging an additional 1% of AGR (adjusted gross revenues) instead of charging the required additional 2% AGR for allocation of additional spectrum from 6.2 Mhz to 10 Mhz.
The chargesheet, accessed by TOI, added that former telecom secretary “Shyamal Ghosh ‘deliberately’ and with ‘mala fide intention’ did not obtain the comments of then member (finance) of DoT despite the issue involving huge financial implications. The wireless advisor, who was the custodian of the entire spectrum, was also intentionally bypassed on flimsy grounds that he was retiring on that very day i.e. on January 31, 2002”.
In defence, Ghosh reportedly told the JPC that the issue of allocating spectrum was pending since 2000 and he could not, contrary to what CBI the has said, be accused of delaying the decision.
On the charge that the decision was rushed through in a single day, Ghosh reportedly said it was based on information developed over more than a year. Telecom regulator Trai had said that it would consider additional licences only if problems of existing operators were addressed.
Ghosh also argued that the extension of revenue sharing set at 2% for additional 5Mhz would be 4% for additional 10Mhz. The CBI named three telecom firms—Bharti Cellular Ltd, Hutchison Max Pvt Ltd (now Vodafone India Ltd) and Sterling Cellular Ltd (now Vodafone Mobile Service Ltd) —as accused.
Ghosh and the firms have been accused of criminal conspiracy and violating provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Although the agency named the firms in the chargesheet, it said it could not find anything against their promoters. The agency accused Mahajan of conspiring with Ghosh to benefit the private players, but said no action was proposed as he is dead. Jagdish Rai Gupta, who was then deputy director general in-charge of value added services, has been made an approver in the case.
Courtesy:
Neeraj Chauhan & Abhinav Garg TNN
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIM/2012/12/22&PageLabel=3&EntityId=Ar00303&ViewMode=HTML
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