The Enforcement Directorate and the Goa Police on Thursday conducted searches at the residence of former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat among other places in the state and questioned a relative of the Congress leader in connection with the Louis Berger bribery case.
Investigations are underway to trace a missing file related to Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-funded project for which the US consultancy company allegedly paid the bribe, a senior Crime Branch official said.
Kamat’s brother-in-law Pinky <g data-gr-id="39">Lawande</g> was hauled up in his office in Panaji for questioning by ED sleuths, a senior ED official said.
The ED and the state Crime Branch police began the searches in the morning at five places, including Kamat’s residence in Margao town, a senior police official said.
The house owned by <g data-gr-id="36">Lawande</g> in Panaji’s plush Miramar locality was also searched before he was questioned, the ED official said.
While the Crime Branch conducted a search at Kamat’s residence, the ED conducted searches at his residence and offices as well as that of <g data-gr-id="40">Lawande</g>.
Earlier this month, the agency had lodged an FIR relating to money laundering in the Louis Berger case to probe charges of bribing Indian officials to allegedly win a major water developmental project in Goa.
Meanwhile, former state Public Works (PWD) Minister Churchill Alemao, who was arrested in connection with the case, has moved a fresh bail application before <g data-gr-id="45">district</g> court, which has reserved its order till Monday. At present, Alemao is in judicial remand.
The Crime Branch has also appealed before the Goa bench of Bombay High Court against the anticipatory bail granted to Kamat by the district court. Admitting the petition, the court scheduled the matter to be heard on August 27 and asked Kamat to file his response.
While granting anticipatory bail to Kamat on Wednesday, the court had asked him to furnish a surety of Rs 1 lakh, not to tamper with the evidence and to cooperate with the Crime Branch as and when summoned.
The police had recently slapped an additional charge of ‘causing <g data-gr-id="43">disappearance</g> of evidence’ against Kamat under Section 201 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Earlier, he was charged under IPC Section 120-B (conspiracy) and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Kamat was the Chief Minister of Goa when the alleged bribe was given in 2010.
The police have so far arrested Churchill Alemao, former vice-president of Louis Berger Satyakam Mohanty, head of <g data-gr-id="37">JICA-aided</g> project in Goa Anand Wachasunder and alleged hawala dealer Raychand Soni in the case. Mohanty was granted bail on Monday.