New Delhi: In a big expose, the Congress has alleged that the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tall claims of running a corruption-free government is just an 'eyewash' as the Centre is engaged in business activities with fugitive Sandesara brothers' company — Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company Ltd (SEEPCO) that had fled India just before the CBI and ED registered cases against them in 2017 for allegedly siphoning off loans of government banks worth Rs 15,000 crore.
While citing an example of the Sandesara brothers of Sterling Biotech, Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh alleged that the BJP government was first aiding fugitives to escape from the country and then buying goods from their companies.
However, till the filing of the report, there were no comments from the government over the charges.
Vallabh further alleged that those declared 'fugitive economic offenders', after they duped banks, ran away with public money and were relaxing in foreign locations, are now selling goods and services from these locations to the government.
"Crude oil worth Rs 5,701.83 crore was purchased by oil PSUs from Sandesara group company even after a special court in September 2020 declared Nitin Sandesara, Chetan Sandesara, his wife Dipti and one Hiteshkumar Narendrabhai Patel as 'fugitive economic offenders' on the Enforcement Directorate's request," he said, adding that the promoters of Baroda-based Sterling Biotech fled India just before the CBI and the ED registered cases against them in 2017 for allegedly siphoning off loans of government banks worth Rs 15,000 crore.
The Congress leader alleged that from January 1, 2018 to May 31, 2020, shipments worth Rs 5,701.83 crore of OKWUIBOME Crude Oil were received from Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company Ltd (SEEPCO), Nigeria, by the oil PSUs.
SEEPCO has been producing OKWUIBOME Crude Oil and PSUs like Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) have been actively purchasing oil from (SEEPCO) Nigeria, he said.
Vallabh, an economist by profession, also alleged that the recent Pandora Papers have revealed that the Sandesara brothers formed six offshore firms to increase oil trade to India. All of these companies were formed between November 2017 and April 2018, and none of them have been investigated by central agencies like the ED and the CBI.
"These points clearly indicate that the Central government, PSBs and central agencies like the CBI and the ED have not only been going soft on the Sandesara brothers but also helping them escape the law and contributing to their wealth and fortunes by repeatedly indulging in business with them," he alleged.
"The Congress party asks from the Modi government why there have been no attempts to extradite the Sandesara brothers? Do banks and Central agencies treat other loan defaulters and economic offenders in the same manner," Vallabh asked. He also questioned whether the Modi government even considers the Sandesara brothers fugitive economic offenders, and why oil PSUs were repeatedly engaging in business with the economic offenders.
As per the company's profile, SEEPCO is an Indian company and part of the Sandesara Group that ventured into Nigeria's oil and gas market and is successfully producing crude oil in the Niger Delta.