‘Raja ignored requests from PM, FM on 2G’
14 Nov 2013 11:09 PM GMT
The chief investigating officer in the 2G scam case on Wednesday claimed in a Delhi court that former telecom minister A Raja had ignored the requests of the prime minister and the ministry of finance to stay the allocation of licences for the radiowaves on pricing issue.
CBI’s superintendent of police Vivek Priyadarshi told the court that according to records of Department of Telecom (DoT) and ministry of finance, no meeting took place among PM, Raja, the then finance minister, the then external affairs minister and others on telecom issues prior to 10 January, 2008.
‘The DoT and ministry of finance’s records relevant to the issues were seized during investigation. These records did not point out any meetings between the aforesaid ministers prior to 10 January, 2008, when DoT under the directions of A Raja, issued LOIs to new UASL applicants,’ Priyadarshi said.
‘The records of the ministry of finance showed that the ministry had requested the DoT to stay further allocation of licences and spectrum, which were linked to the old prices of 2001. Similar requests from Prime Minister was also there to the MOC&IT (Raja),’ he told special CBI judge O P Saini.
During his cross-examination by senior advocate Sushil Kumar, who appeared for Raja, Priyadarshi said according to records of the ministry of finance, till 10 January, 2008, the pricing issue remained ‘unresolved’.
‘Further meetings after 10 January, 2008 between MOC&IT, finance minister and the PMO indicated in the subsequent records of ministry of finance only talk about resolution of outstanding issues,’ he said.
CBI’s superintendent of police Vivek Priyadarshi told the court that according to records of Department of Telecom (DoT) and ministry of finance, no meeting took place among PM, Raja, the then finance minister, the then external affairs minister and others on telecom issues prior to 10 January, 2008.
‘The DoT and ministry of finance’s records relevant to the issues were seized during investigation. These records did not point out any meetings between the aforesaid ministers prior to 10 January, 2008, when DoT under the directions of A Raja, issued LOIs to new UASL applicants,’ Priyadarshi said.
‘The records of the ministry of finance showed that the ministry had requested the DoT to stay further allocation of licences and spectrum, which were linked to the old prices of 2001. Similar requests from Prime Minister was also there to the MOC&IT (Raja),’ he told special CBI judge O P Saini.
During his cross-examination by senior advocate Sushil Kumar, who appeared for Raja, Priyadarshi said according to records of the ministry of finance, till 10 January, 2008, the pricing issue remained ‘unresolved’.
‘Further meetings after 10 January, 2008 between MOC&IT, finance minister and the PMO indicated in the subsequent records of ministry of finance only talk about resolution of outstanding issues,’ he said.
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