America
Assam CM orders probe into US firm's bribery case
Guwahati, July 20
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Monday ordered a probe into
allegation that a US-based construction management company had bribed
officials, including a minister, to win contract for a water project in
Guwahati.
The chief minister asked Additional Chief Secretary
Subash Chandra Das to probe the alleged Louis Berger Guwahati Water
Supply project scam and directed him to submit a report soon.
Gogoi
said if any prima facie evidence was found, the state government would
refer the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The
alleged scam came to the fore last week after a US court charged two
former executives of Louis Berger company for bribing a minister in
Assam and some officials for getting the water supply contract worth
Rs.86.6 crore.
Former minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was in-charge
of the Guwahati Development Department when the contract was inked.
Sarma, who resigned as minister last year, denied his involvement in the
scam.
A section of Congress leaders and opposition parties in Assam are demanding a thorough probe into the allegation.
New Jersey-based firm Louis Berger has been charged with paying around $1 million in bribes for projects in Goa and Guwahati.
According
to the papers released by the US Justice Department, bribes were paid
to officials and a minister, whose name was not revealed, for securing
the project.