The CBI is preparing to send a judicial request to Norway as part of its investigation against former senior bureaucrat posted with the Union ministry of chemicals and fertilisers J.S.
The CBI is preparing to send a judicial request to Norway as part of its investigation against former senior bureaucrat posted with the Union ministry of chemicals and fertilisers J.S. Maini in a corruption case.
The CBI on May 8 had registered an FIR against former IAS officer Maini and his family members for allegedly receiving a bribe of $1 million (about Rs 6.4 crore) in a joint venture deal between Krishak Bharati Cooperative Limited (KRIBHCO) and Norwegian fertiliser major Yara in 2006-07. The CBI had last year started an inquiry into the alleged pay-off of $1 million to Mr Maini and his son by the Norwegian company for securing a joint venture with KRIBHCO in 2006-07. The agency registered a case against Mr Maini, the then additional secretary in the Union ministry of chemicals and fertilisers, his two sons and their wives. “Investigations by the agency have revealed that the Norwegian firm was allegedly negotiating with Kribhco during 2006-07 for setting up a joint venture project. In April 2011, Yara International appointed law firm Wiersholm to conduct an external investigation in this matter. Yara in June 2012 had released the main findings of the investigation which said that an unacceptable payment of $1 million in 2007 to a consultant in India is documented, related to negotiations with KRIBHCO,” sources said. Now, the agency is preparing to send a judicial request to Norway to get details about the suspected firm based there, they added.
The CBI had also started preliminary inquiry based on statements from Yara and Norwegian prosecution agency Okokrim in this regard, naming Mr Maini and his sons as suspects.
It is alleged that transfer of over $1million had taken place in the offshore accounts believed to be of Mr Maini and his family members.
The Norwegian firm had allegedly accepted a penalty of 270 million Norwegian Krone imposed on it by Okokrim for the alleged payoffs made to a consultant for an unrealised project in India, sources said.
