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Corruption NEWS for ALL INDIA.

PM CLAIMS U.N. REPPORT BLAMING ONE OF MINISTERS IN CORRUPTION HAS NO EVIDENCE Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister, has promised to investigate charges that Natwar Singh, Foreign Minister, profited in the Iraqi oil-for-food program. Thousands of prominent politicians and companies worldwide have been found to have profited from collusion with Saddam Hussein’s government, and an estimated $1.8 billion US of the $64 billion US oil-for food program has been skimmed. (Pravda, November 8, 2005, summary by Marg Reynolds)

FORMER MAHARASHTRA MINISTER FOUND GUILTY ON CORRUPTION CHARGES. Mumbai (3/15/2005). The Justice P.B. Sawant Commission has found former Maharashtra Minister Sureshdada Jain guilty of 21 acts of corruption and 13 cases of mal-administration. The commission also found Jain guilty of making a false statement in front of it. The majority of the offenses for which Jain was found guilty occurred when he was the head of the Jalgaon District Central Cooperative Bank (JDCC) from 1991 to 2003 and as a “de-facto” head of the Jalgaon Municipal Corporation (JMC). (http://news.newkerala.com, 3/15/2005, summary by Andrew Myerberg)

CORRUPTION OF PREVIOUS REGIME TO BE PROBED; NO WITCH HUNTING. Chandigarh (3/15/2005). Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda of the newly elected Haryana congress stated that Haryana would be a “corruption free and terror free state.” Hooda also stated that “anybody who had indulged in corruption” under the previous regime, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), would not be spared but that there would be no “witch-hunting.” Hooda alleged that INLD has left the states finances in bad shape and that the newly elected regime would be pro-poor and sensitive to the people’s needs. (Hindustan Times, 3/15/2005, summary by Andrew Myerberg)

Top officials booked after nation-wide CBI raids. It was reported that various cases were registered against several top officials including the Airport Authority director in Hyderabad, the Hindustan Shipyard Limited general manager and the senior commercial manager of Railways after Central Bureau of Investigation’s anti-corruption raids. A total of 194 people were booked after CBI conducted raids on some 249 premises all over the country. At least 126 of those against whom cases are registered are public servants, including top officials of the income tax department and the Delhi Development Authority. Raids were also conducted against former director general of the meteorological department, S K Srivastava. (Yahoo News (Rediff), February 2nd, 2005, summary by Sherldine Tomlinson).

Surge in corruption among civil servants. According to a report in India, there were more corruption cases against civil servants in 2004 than in the last three years. Minister of State of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Suresh Pachouri said that the Central Bureau of Investigation had registered 26 cases against civil servants, including four Indian Administrative Service officers. (Newkerala, December 2, 2004, summary by Sherldine Tomlinson).

air force official imprisoned. It was reported that the former number two buyer for the US air force has been sentenced to nine months in jail for corruption. Darleen Druyun, have admitted to boosting the price of a tanker plane deal to win favour with Boeing, the company she was about to work for. Druyun also pleaded guilty to giving Boeing a competitor’s secret data. (BBC News, October 4, 2004 summary by Sherldine Tomlinson).

PM ready to be under scrutiny of anti-corruption watchdog. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he was ready to put his office under the scrutiny of an ombudsman to stamp out official corruption. Singh, a former economist for the World Bank said that there was consensus among India’s political establishment on a long-debated proposal for an anti-graft ombudsman with the power to investigate top officials. The prime minister also said that the government would look at ways to revamp the civil service and would soon set up a commission on administrative reform. (Yahoo News (AFP), September 29, 2004 summary by Sherldine Tomlinson).

Rampant corruption in India. India’s Tehelka Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice S N Phukan has reportedly suggested that a sitting Supreme Court Judge should examine all defence files since independence. Concerned about rampant corruption in defence purchases allegedly involving Army personnel, he desired that the proposed Supreme Court Judge should by assisted by the Central Vigilance Commission and the CBI. According to Phukan, rampant corruption, particularly in defence purchases, is a source of deep concern, to the Indian electorate. (The New Nation 15 Apr 2004 summary by Sherldine Tomlinson).

INDIA PUTS INVESTIGATORS ON BRIBE ALLEGATION PROBE Following the video scandal on bribery, which forced Judeo, former environment minister and regional BJP strongman resigned last month, Mr. Vajpayee – India’s prime minister said that the criminal investigation agency would probe the bribery allegations. However, Sharma, working chairman emeritus of Transparency International shared his doubt with Prem Shankar Jha, a political analyst who believed that the investigation would come nowhere as according to him, “the entire political class and the system is corrupt” (FT 11 Dec, 2003 summarized by Hanh Vu).

Murder brings whistle-blower bill back to life. A whistleblowers’ bill, stalled in the Indian Parliament for two years, is being reintroduced off after the gruesome murder of an engineer who reported corruption in a $2 billion highway project to link the country’s major metropolises. According to Soli Sorabjee, India’s attorney general, the shocking events concerning the murder of the engineer highlight the need for speedy enactment of a whistleblowers’ law to protect the people. (Inter Press Service Dec 11 2003 summary by Sherldine Tomlinson).

India puts investigators on bribe allegation probe. India’s prime minister has said that the country's leading criminal investigation agency would probe the bribery allegations that forced a minister of the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata party to resign. "It has been the policy of my government that all allegations pertaining to corruption will be inquired into. The law will take its own course," said Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. Critics have said that the government plans to hold a long investigation to minimize political damage ahead of national elections next year. (Financial Times 11 Dec 2003 summary by Sherldine Tomlinson).

INDIAN MINISTER IN BRIBERY SCANDAL OFFERS TO RESIGN Junior Environment Minister Dilip Singh Judeo found to send resignation to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee a day after the Indian Express announced that it had a tape of him taking money from a businessman for a mining contract. The Congress had demanded Judeo be sacked shortly after the report was published but Vajpayee confirmed that Judeo would have to quit if found guilty. (AFP, 17 Nov 2003, summarized by Hanh Vu).

Burdwan civic body chairman charged with corruption. It was reported that corruption charges has come against the chairman of Burdwan Municipality, Suren Mondal. Union president Tapan Mukherjee alleged that money was missing from the workers’ co-operative funds. (The Times of India, August 14, 2003, summary by Sherldine Tomlinson).

FCI dismisses 30 employees in anti-corruption drive. Food Corporation of India has embarked on an anti-corruption drive dismissing 30 employees as part of efforts to weed out the menace. The Corporation has effected as many as 31 reductions in rank and 222 reductions in time scale pay and recovery of losses as well as withholding of increments during January-June period. Food Minister Sharad Yadav had ordered immediate suspension of an Assistant Manager who was caught red-handed accepting a bribe from a railway track maintenance contractor. (The Economic Times, August 6, 2003 summary by Sherldine Tomlinson).

New Delhi, FAKE ISO CERTIFICATE RACKET BUSTED. Fake ISO 9001-2000 certificates possession by the companies in North India has come to light in a big way. The police arrested Delhi resident S.C. Katyal who issued these forged certificates on behalf of authorized agency in United Kingdom. The agency said it issued none of this series in India. UK organization ‘UKAS’ has been authorized by the Geneva based International Standard Organization (ISO). UKAS has got two branches in Delhi and Mumbai. S.C. Katyal being the CEO of the Delhi branch issued these forged certificates to the companies. (07/28/2003, Dainik Jagran, Ist page, summary by Umesh Kumar Arya).

New Delhi, INDIA TODAY BRINGS OUT SPECIAL EDITION ON CORRUPT POLITICIANS. The year 2003 seems to uncover the corruption coated face of Indian bureaucracy. The July 9, 2003 edition of India Today, the biggest selling political magazine in the country, carried the money spinning habit of Indian bureaucrats and other bigwigs. In a panoramic view, the story carries the following corruption tidbits. Subhash Sharma, ex-chairman, DDA (Delhi Development Authority) and Anand Mohan Sharan, IAS, parted with Rupees 50 lacs and 36 lacs respectively in order to undue favour DLF builders. Virender Singh, Advisor, Chandigarh administration, was raided for amassing assets disproportionate to his known source of income. SK Mishra, former chief production commissioner was arrested for taking a bribe of 10 lacs from Flex industries. Ravinder Pal Singh Sindhu ex-chairman, Punjab Public Service Commission arrested for amassing wealth of Rupees 28 crores by virtually selling the government jobs. B.P. Verma, former chairman, central board of direct taxes arrested in April 2001 for taking bribe of 2 lac rupees. (07/22/2003, India today 9^th 2003, summarized by Umesh Kumar Arya).

New Delhi, FRAUDULENT LEAVE ENCASHMENT CLAIMS BY GOVT OFFICIALS. The corruption has appeared in a new avatar in Bangalore city where heads of various government departments have been claiming the leave encashment of their subordinates. A senior assistant director of the horticulture department submitted a claim of 89,480 rupees for leave encashment with forged signatures to the government treasury where the officials smelt a rat. After preliminary probe, the fraudulent claim of 25.54 lacs have been detected. The irrigation, education and treasury departments are also affected by this malpractice to the tune 30 lacs rupees. Four officials of the horticulture department have been suspended. (7/15/2003, The Times of India, Ist page, Summary by Umesh Kumar Arya).

New Delhi, HINDUJA BROTHERS TO FACE KICKBACK CHARGES IN BOFORS GUN CASE. The Supreme Court of India yesterday gave a green signal to the framing of charges by setting aside the high court’s earlier order of quashing the chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation against Hinduja brothers. London based Hinduja brothers Srichand, Gopichand and Prakash Chand are currently facing trial by the court in their alleged involvement in the purchase of advanced Swedish bofors gun by India for 1437.72 crores rupees in 1986 in which Hinduja brothers had allegedly received rupees 64 croroes as kickbacks from the Swedish company for clinching the deal and acting as a “middlemen”. The special judge framed charges against them in April 2002 but the chargesheet was quashed by the high court on the ground that the CBI didn’t have the required sanction from the Central Vigilance Commision (CVC). The Supreme Court set aside the high court’s order by concluding that no “concurrence or approval” was required to be taken by the investigating agency. (July 8, 2003, The Times of India, Ist page, Summary by Umesh Kumar Arya).

Hazare to launch final battle against CORRUPTION. Noted social activist Anna Hazare has said that he would launch his final battle to weed out corruption. “My final agitation in Mumbai will be for social awakening against corruption and for maintaining our present value system,” Hazare said. Hazare also appealed to people to avoid felicitations of “tainted NCP ministers”. (India Times, June 16, 2003, summary by Sherldine Tomlinson).

TAPE TESTS FOR INDIAN CORRUPTION A videotapes released two years ago by the news website Tehalka in which senior politicians and officials were filmed allegedly asking for bribes has been ordered to go through detailed forensic examination by a commission of inquiry in India. The head of the one-man commission, former Indian Supreme Court judged S N Phukan, said the examination would aim to establish that the tapes were authentic and had not been tampered with, while according to Tehalka the move was delaying tactic. The release of the tapes, in fact, rocked the Indian government and caused the leaders of at least 2 major parties to resign. (BBC News, 10 May 2003, summary by Hanh Vu).

INDIA SETS UP SPECIAL COURTS TO TRY CORRUPT OFFICIALS It's said by Deputy Prime Minister L.K.Advani that India had set up 35 special courts to reduce delays while dealing with corruption civil servants being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Special judges would lead 28 of these courts and special magistrates the rest. To answer whether a number of "corrupt civil servants caught red-handed" had been let off "despite the use of hidden microphones and special chemical coated money during the last two year, he said during 2001-02, the trial of 375 "trap cases" had been completed and of those 228 ended in convictions and 134 in acquittals. Four were discharged and 9 cases disposed of. (Indo-Asian News Service 22 Apr 2003, summary by Hanh Vu).

CORRUPTION COSTS STATE RS 2,400cr Corruption appears to hit all government departments in India with police topped the list of those involved in graft, followed by rural development, local government, social welfare, health and education department officials. 33% of annual budget for the year 2003-4 and about 30% of foreign aid received last fiscal year which was equal to Rs 2,400crone went to government officials' pockets by ways of graft, embezzlements and a variety of other financial irregularities; at least 70% of the development fun allocated in the Plan outlay does not reach its intended target because of corruption. However this figure seems not reflect the real situation as the findings are based only on over 500 cases registered with national investigating agencies. (the Times of India 15 Apr 2003, summary by Hanh Vu)

THREE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS JAILED FOR TAKING BRIBES. A special judge in India has issued a warrant leading to the arrest of three government officials for alleged bribe taking. The Central Bureau of Investigation caught the officials including SK. Duggal, R.S. Mehta and Kehar Singh taking RS 3,000, 500 and 2,000, respectively in separate occasions. The court sentence both Duggat and Mehta to four years in prison, and ordered Singh to spend a year in jail. (Indo-Asian News Service, February 14, 2003, Summary by Eliza Villarino.).

Former top official of Tata Finance held for FRAUD. Former top official of Tata Finance Limited was arrested in the Indian capital for alleged misappropriating Rs.20 million. Dilip Pendse, 50, a former managing director, was taken into custody from the Tilak Marg area after the Delhi High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea. The police had registered a case against him in September and initiated investigations on a complaint filed on behalf of Inshaallah Investment Ltd., a New Delhi-based non-banking financial company. A case of cheating, forgery, criminal breach of trust, criminal conspiracy and misappropriation of funds was registered against him. (Indo-Asian News Service, February 26, 2003 summary by Sherldine Tomlinson).

India Cracks Down on Fraud. India is to set up a Serious Frauds Office (SFO) as part of the Ministry of Company Affairs, to investigate corporate wrongdoing such as the violation of company laws and to prosecute in cases where firms are found to have committed frauds. This is one of the initiatives taken by authorities to crackdown on company crime and to improve corporate governance, while continuing the liberalization process. According to Mr. Dhall, the Secretary of the Ministry of Company Affairs, other measures include the setting up of a national center for corporate governance in partnership with the private sector and the commissioning of a report to examine how to increase the transparency of Indian business. The SFO will pass the case on to relevant authorities if other laws such as banking or taxation are broken. (Source: BBC News, 10 Jan 2003; Summary by Veena Jagannath).

BILL TO DISCLOSE CRIMINAL RECORD AND ASSETS OF POLITICIANS PASSED The Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 2002 was passed by a voice vote after the statutory resolution moved by Ramjilal Suman (Samajwadi Party) and others for disapproval of the RPA (Amendment) Ordinance was negated. Under the bill, candidates for Parliamentary or Assembly polls would be required to disclose their criminal antecedents as also to declare their assets and liabilities after being elected. (The Hindu, 17 Dec 2002, summary by Hanh Vu).

A NEW WEBSITE launched to clean the corruption in India. Please visit
http://www.indiaeyewitness.com
and give your valuable suggestions to clean corruption in India.
 

Tehelka accuses govt of abuse of POWER . Tehelka Managing Editor Tarun Tejpal alleged that the government’s abuse of power against the news portal in last two years is much bigger a story than its expose on corruption in defence deals and the recent appointment of Justice K Venkatswami as Chairman of an important financial body was no different. Earlier, both the houses of the Parliament witnessed noisy protests by the opposition who criticised the government for appointing Venkatswami as Chairman of Authority of Advance Ruling on Customs and Central Excise. (The Times of India, November 22, 2002, summary by Sherldine Tomlinson).

Hindujas to face corruption trial. According to reports, an Indian court has ordered that the Hinduja brothers face charges of cheating, criminal conspiracy and corruption in the 1986 sale of artillery guns to the Indian army. British citizens Srichand and Gopichand Hinduja and Prakash, a Swiss citizen, have been charged with accepting £5.23 million in illegal commissions from defunct Swedish weapons maker Bofors, to facilitate the sale of the guns. The Hinduja brothers have denied that the money Bofors paid into their Swiss bank accounts was a kickback for brokering the gun deal, but have not explained what it was for. The bribe taking charges were later thrown out over a technical error. (ITV News, November 14, 2002 summary by Sherldine Tomlinson).

NEW TWIST TO CONTROVERSY OVER Genetically Modified CROP. Several NGO’s and farmers' associations have demanded an investigation into the workings of the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee, which is concerned with the approval of GM crops. The NGO’s have alleged a complete lack of transparency in the working of GEAC, and claim that "multinationals are known for buying influence in governments”. It is widely held that Monsanto and ProAgro have 'bought' influence in government departments to get favorable verdicts for their GM varieties. Criticizing the government for trying to introduce genetically modified mustard in a 'hushed manner', the NGOs alleged that GEAC did not respond to repeated requests for the results of field trials of the transgenic varieties. (Rediff.com, November 11, 2002, summary by Gray Charlton).

ndian brokerages to be prosecuted. Thirteen companies, including some of Bombay’s best-known brokerage houses, are to be prosecuted for their role in India’s most damaging stock market scandal in a decade. The scandal, in which speculators allied to brokerage houses allegedly engineered a plunge in equity prices in 2001, damaged the standing of the then finance minister, Yashwant Sinha. The allegations include misleading investors and manipulating statements and could lead to five years in jail. Jaswant Singh demanded the transfer of the DCA from the law ministry to the finance ministry before he took up his new job as finance minister in July. (Financial Times, October 25, 2002 summary by Sherldine Tomlinson).

Anti-corruption sleuths raid residences of ex-DMK minister, relatives . Sleuths of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption on conducted simultaneous raids at 12 premises, which including four in Bangalore, belonging to former Tamil Nadu public works Minister Durai Murugan of DMK and his relatives. Official sources said that the raids were conducted at the residences and business establishments of Durai Murugan, his son, his daughter-in-law and other relatives in Chennai, Vellore and Bangalore for allegedly amassing wealth disproportionate to known sources of income. (Express India, October 18, 2002, summary by Sherldine Tomlinson).

GOVERNMENT FINALISING STRUCTURE OF SERIOUS FRAUD OFFICE. The finance ministry is finalising the structure of serious fraud office, which is expected to be in place shortly. Speaking at a FICCI seminar on ‘CFO and corporate governance’, secretary of the department of company affairs V.K. Dhall said, “the finance minister announced in the Parliament that a serious frauds office will be set up. The department is working on its structure and operations and we are also studying the system prevalent in other countries.” DCA secretary also added that a high-level centre for corporate governance was also being set up and this would become a success if corporate India joined hands with the government. (Indian Express Newspapers, August 21, 2002 summary by Sherldine Tomlinson).

THE PUMP SCAM The Indian Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, has cancelled all allotments of petrol pumps, liquefied petroleum gas and kerosene agencies made after January 2000, following accusations of the ruling party favoring their relatives through these grants. The ruling party, NDA, has in turn accused opposition leaders & other party leaders of taking favors from the ruling party for allotment of petrol pumps & LPG agencies for their close associates. (Source: MSN India, August 12, 2002, Summary by: Shatarupa Chaki).

On May 2, Supreme Court of India passed a landmark judgment mandating candidates contesting parliamentary or assembly elections should disclose to the public: Their criminal records (convictions, acquittals, charges, etc.),  if any. Their assets and liabilities Their educational qualifications , All political parties are resisting. They want to continue "business as usual" - criminal, corrupt politics. This is your chance to start the clean-up.Please sign the petition to the Election Commissioner at

http://www.ipetitions.com/campaigns/SupremeCourtIndia_Clean_Politics/

WEBSITE DEFENDS ITS RECORD The head of an Indian news website which was at the centre of an arms bribery scandal last year says that his motives were to expose corruption in high places. Editor-in-chief of Tehelka.com, Tarun Tejpal, told a commission of enquiry that the website did not aim to target any political party or individual when its journalists, posing as arms dealers, secretly filmed bureaucrats and politicians accepting bribes. Mr Tejpal’s appearance before the Venkatswamy commission into allegations of corruption had to be delayed after anti-corruption officials raided the website’s offices. Mr Tejpal said he expected his exposure would help in cleaning up of the system. In addition, Mr Tejpal has on several occasions accused the authorities of deliberate harassment since the website revealed the bribery scandal. (BBC News, June 29, 2002, summary by Sherldine Tomlinson).

INSPECTOR SUSPENDED FOR CORRUPTION. Following a thorough investigation by the Joint Commissioner of Police B.Jeevan Kumar Gaonkar, Police Commissioner H.T. Sangliana has suspended Banashankari Inspector Chandramohan on allegations of corruption, dereliction of duty and letting offenders escape. On April 14, Chandramohan arrested and detained 16 people on charges of gambling, but later set them free after collecting a hefty bribe. No case against the 16 was registered. Chandramohan has allegedly misbehaved with a woman complainant following the receipt of a bribe from her. The woman is believed to have recorded the conversation that transpired between her and the Inspector and gave the cassette to senior police officers, DCP (South) T. Sunil Kumar and Joint Commissioner of Police Gaonkar, who later conducted an inquiry and submitted a report to the police commissioner. According to police records, the suspension is not the first for Inspector, who was once caught while accepting a bribe. (The Times of India, April 20, 2002, summary by Eliza Villarino).

INDEX TO HELP CURB GRAFT UNDER WAY. The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has released a new index––probity perception index (PPI)–– measuring the extent of corruption, which it hopes would guarantee transparency among government offices and boost public confidence. Based on the survey using the vigilance intensity index, a component of PPI, the most corrupt organizations are the Union ministry of home affairs, the Punjab and Sind Bank in the public sector bank list and the Indian Road Construction Limited in the public sector unit roster. The PPI, aside from the vigilance intensity index (20% weightage) measuring the prosecutions and number or cases filed with the CVC, has two other components: metaperception (10%), which assesses the organization’s perception of itself, and field study (70%). The field study is an activity that will be undertaken by non-government organizations or professional bodies desiring probity in public governance. The CVC has sought a budgetary provision of Rs 20 lakh to proceed with the annual exercise. To further strengthen the fight against corruption, CVC is mulling on measures to guard honest people in organizations, who are victimized by the blackmail culture in the offices. Efforts to implement a Public Disclosures Act to render legal protection to those exposing corruption are also being considered. (The Statesman (India), April 6, 2002, summary by Eliza J. Villarino).

WORLD BANK PUTS LOAN PART ON HOLD. The World Bank has suspended until further notice the second installment of the Rs 15,000-crore loan, which is intended for the installation of structural and fiscal reforms in India. The bank had previously released Rs 1100 crore last year. The international finance institution stated that the decision is based on the inability of the government to abide by the guidelines set out by the World Bank. Particularly, the WB did not appreciate the failure of the government to regulate the functioning of the UP Power Corporation Limited, the center of the structural reforms. The visiting teams cited that corruption, red-tapism, frequent transfers and lack of foresight are reasons for the said failure to undertake reforms. (The Economic Times, April 5, 2002, summary by Eliza J. Villarino).

Sweden: Bofors-Hinduja case adjourned The high-profile corruption case in India, which involve the Swedish arms manufacturer, Bofors, and the three-billionaire Hinduja brothers, has been adjourned for until March 1, 2002. The three Hinduja brothers are accused of accepting substantial bribes from Bofors for brokering a big arms sale to India in the 1980s. Solicitors representing the Hindujas are demanding a complete inspection of documents, which the prosecutors in the case say, are classified information. The Bofors manufacturing company wants the entire case against it dropped on the grounds that a corporate body cannot be prosecuted. (BBC News, February 5, 2002, summary by Sherldine Tomlinson).

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New Delhi, INDIA TO HAVE CORRUPTION MEASURING INDEX SOON. India could soon have an index to measure the level of corruption in the government departments. Central Vigilance Commissioner N. Vittal says that the index would be named “probity perception index” in view of the stigma attached to the word “corruption”. According to Mr. Vittal, the initiative follows a suggestion from former World Bank president Robert McNamara. The bank's latest corruption perception index lists 91 countries with Finland being called the least corrupt, Bangladesh being dubbed the most corrupt and India standing at 72 in the corruption index. The new corruption intensity index could be prepared on the basis of corruption cases referred to the national anti-corruption commission. The index will also be based on field studies (exit polls) conducted by NGOs in public sector organizations in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Guwahati. (The Times of India, February 3, 2002, summary by Pavlidis George).

CBI SEEKS US HELP IN VINCENT GEORGE CASE. A special CBI court has issued letters rogatory or letters of request (LRs) to be transmitted, through diplomatic channels, to U.S.A. authorities requesting help in the investigation of the disproportionate assets case against former private secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Vincent George. The case was filed March 20, 2001 due to violations of the Prevention of Corruption Act allegedly committed by George. He is charged with amassing wealth which is not proportional to his known sources of living. The LRs was issued to determine the real source of large payments allegedly obtained by George. George claimed that the funds were cash gifts sent to him by his brother and brother-in-law from the U.S. The CBI, however, suspects that George received the funds through hawala channels, which were later returned as “gifts.” The George investigation began when former deputy director of Enforcement Directorate, Ashok Aggarwal, revealed he used his close association with Sonia Gandhi's former personal secretary to advance his career prospects. He also said that he helped to George file his income tax returns and advised him on investment and property issues. Based on these declarations, the CBI was able to identify some properties George had acquired in his and his relatives’ names. (The Times of India, January 14, 2002, summary by Eliza Villarino)

JUDGE SUSPENDED IN GRAFT CASE M.S. Patel, special judge in anti-corruption cases, has been suspended from his duties and booked for demanding a Rs. 3 lakh bribe to acquit two policemen, Mohan Giri and Pandurang Chavan, who themselves were charged in a corruption case in which they demanded a bribe from suspects. (FT, Jan. 12, 2002, summary by Marg Reynolds).

ANTI-CORRUPTION JUDGE NAMED IN BRIBERY CASE. M S Patil is an Additional Sessions Judge of the Special Court for Trial of Corruption Cases. Judge Patil is now accused of bribery. Deepak Keshav Warkhade, superintendent of the special court, who was arrested while accepting a bribe of Rs 2.6 lakh from two policemen facing corruption charges, also faces charges of bribery. According to Deputy Commissioner of Police, Atulchandra Kulkarni, the superintendent decided to name Judge Patil in the case after he was offered the bribe. He allegedly approached two policemen, who were accused of bribery, and said the judge might acquit them if they paid Rs 2.5 lakh for the judge and Rs 50,000 for himself. (Source: India Express News Service, January 9, 2002, summary by Pavlidis George).

JOYNAGAR CIVIC CHIEF EXPELLED. The Pradesh Congress Committee has expelled Prasanta Sarkhel, chairman of the Joynagar-Majilpur Mun-icipality (South 24-Parganas) from the political party for six years due to misappropriation of funds. Following the news is the appeal of PCC general secretary Dr. Manas Bhuniya for the government to release a white paper on the state of affairs of Left Front-run municipalities. (The Statesman (India), January 8, 2002, summary by Eliza Villarino).

INDIA: VIGILANCE DIRECTOR TAKES OVER. Lok Ayukta Vigilance Director K.V. Vasudeva Murthy now heads efforts to wipe out corruption, inefficiency, bureaucratic red tape and abuse of power at the BCC, BDA and BWSSB offices. Specifically, Vasudeva Murthy has the authority to attend to grievances related to corruption via spot checkings, demand explanation for slow movement of papers, seize documents if there are irregularities, interrogate officials about charges of abuse of power, favoritism, high-handedness and all sorts of public harassment. The said director is also empowered to initiate departmental inquiries, conduct hearing and and resolve cases in an effort to lessen piling up of cases at the Lok Ayukta. (The Times of India , January 8, 2002, summary by Eliza Villarino).

CHIEF MINISTER HEADS ANTI-CORRUPTION PANEL. A high-level anti-corruption committee run by Chief Minister S.M.Krishna and including representatives of most ministries and departments, as well as of media, advocates and academicians was constituted by the state government to control the planning and implementation of anti-corruption measures.(Financial Times (The Times of India) January 2, 2002, summary by Monica Voitovici).

PANEL TO ROOT OUT CORRUPTION ON THE ANVIL Secretary of General Administration Department, A K Kutty announced the setting-up of an independent commission according to the Hong Kong model, structured as a panel of experts, which will receive complaints, order investigations, probe corruption charges and carry out publicity campaigns to create awareness among the people against corruption. (Financial Times, December 30, 2001, summary by Monica Voitovici).

COURT VICTORY FOR JAYALALITHA, FORMER CHIEF MINISTER OF TAMIL NADU Former Chief Minister of the Tamil Nadu State, and one of the most controversial politicians, Ms. Jayalalitha, has been acquitted of corruption charges in the two conviction cases against her. Justice Dinakar, who ruled on Tuesday, on her appeal against the convictions acquitted her on a land deal on grounds that the prosecution had failed to establish that the price she paid for a piece of government land was lower than the market rate. She was also acquitted in the other case, involving corruption charges in granting permission for the construction of a luxury hotel at a hill resort, for which she had been given a one-year sentence in an earlier conviction. Ms. Jayalalitha, and her party the AIADMK, who came to power in the elections earlier this year had established a landslide victory by swaying public sympathy using her alleged convictions and she was also sworn in as the Chief Minister. In the short tenure as Chief Minister, before she was forced to resign on a supreme court ruling that her appointment, whilst under conviction, was unconstitutional, she was smitten by allegations of the arrest of her long- time rival Mr. Karunanidhi in a manner which was much to the displeasure of the Central Government. Following her acquittal on Tuesday, she is expected to come back into the Chief Minister’s post by contesting a by- election early next year. (BBC, December 4, 2001, summary by Aruna Balakrishnan).

MONEY LAUNDERING PROBE AT BARCLAYS BANK The Managing Director of Barclays Bank, France, Henri-Paul Pellegrino, and two other executives were taken in for questioning. The Managing Director was placed under formal investigation as per the system in France, which allows for this, only after a judge feels that there is evidence of breach of the law. It is alleged that in France, between 1996 and now, a network of Jewish Association has been laundering illegally acquired money through Barclays Bank and the bank has not conducted proper background checks on these accounts despite the fact that large amounts of money have been transacted through them in cash. Over all 80 people, including six rabbis are under investigation in this case. Earlier this year in June, The AXA SA Chairman, Claude Bebear and the Chief executive of the French Insurer, Henri de Castries were placed under formal investigation over allegations of tax evasion and money laundering. The recent move involving the Barclays Bank is being seen as a stern message from regulators, which is expected to cause reputational damage to the financial organisations irrespective of any subsequent prosecution. (International Herald Tribune, November 20, 2001, summary by Aruna Balakrishnan).

40 SERVING STAFF FROM INDIAN AIR FORCE AND MINISTRY OF DEFENCE FACE ENQUIRY ON CORRUPTION CHARGES. Over 40 serving officials, mainly from the IAF’s logistics and quality- inspection department and the office of the Controller of defense accounts have been charged with leaking sensitive documents, taking bribes from arms dealers and component suppliers. The court enquiry follows the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)’s arrest of 8 persons- retired AVM J S Kumar; retired Wing Commanders Y S Tomar, H K Nagpal and K Koruuthu; Sergeant K C Saini; an MoD accountant S P Bajaj and businessmen K K Bajaj and Bhagat Ram, which brought to light a fresh list of suspects. The case started with the routine information by an officer to the IAF intelligence that a Sergeant Saini had approached him offering to provide him with leaked information relating to classified documents. A decoy was posted who was introduced to AVM Kumar by Saini, and the entire trap was recorded, showing AVM Kumar mentioning that he had the 10- year plans of the Army and Navy. Several investigations and raids at other retired officers’ houses followed. The investigative agency has evidence of how papers relating to an entire range of deals had reached the hands of private dealers and retired personnel. Concrete evidence on this front includes detailed reports on how the wife of a senior IAF official was the director of a firm which is in the CBI’s blacklist and another high level official who regularly accepted bribes from IAF component suppliers. The CBI has stated that the chargesheets against the accused would be complete in a month’s time and several other court Martials were expected. (Indian Express, October 21, 2001, summary by Aruna Balakrishnan).

GOVERNMENT DALLYING OVER OMBUDSMAN COMMISSION TRIGGERS DRASTIC MOVE TO SET UP PEOPLE’S COURT TO TRY MPs. The much- promised Lok Pal- ombudsman who will have the authority to take on complaints against errant MPs and Prime Ministers, under the provision of the Lok Pal Bill 2001 has been referred to a standing committee of the parliament. The Government’s dallying over the bill, which has been doing the rounds since 1967 in various forms, has triggered Transparency International- India and Lok Sevak Sangh to set up a People’s Lok Pal operating with four senior judges, to register public complaints against MPs and start functioning in 8-10 weeks. The four judges, former chief justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court R.S. Narula, former chief justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court T.U. Mehta, former Delhi High Court judge H.L. Anand, and former Allahabad High Court judge Kamleshwar Nath will entertain any complaint backed with sufficient evidence and an affidavit. The complaint will be referred to a Concerned Citizen’s Vigilance Committee with eight eminent citizens, who will question the accused and present their findings and advice to the People’s Lok Pal. If the concerned party is found guilty, the judges will move the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha ethics committee. In the event of no action from that front, they will move a Public interest litigation in the Supreme Court. In interest of the people, if all legal recourses fail, a satyagraha will be organised with the aim of bringing the corrupt MP to shame and force a resignation. Particular note was made of the fact that the mandatory provision in the Lok Pal Bill 2001 for MPs to declare their assets had been quietly deleted, though Bureaucratic apprehensions were soothed by offering the People’s Lok Pal as a “supplement” to the judicial process till such time that the Lok Pal Bill is approved and executed. (TI, Financial Express, October 5, 2001, summary by Aruna Balakrishnan).

COMPLAINTS FLOOD ANTI-CORRUPTION BUREAU. The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) is being flooded with complaints about corruption but a number of them seem to have been sent to settle scores with individuals.  According to an ACB official, more than 60 per cent of the petitions received every year are found to be frivolous.  (The Times of India, August 9, 2001, summary by Barbara Gray).

THE CORRUPT CAN’T STAY.The Supreme Court has ruled that public servants accused of corruption, may not serve in the interim period till they are exonerated by the court. Since, letting a corrupt official hold office involves an injustice to the collective and being deprived of office while awaiting verdict is only unfair to one person, the balance of interest is in favor of the latter. (Economic Times, August 6, 2001, summary by Kelli Johnston).

New Delhi. SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS JAIL TERM FOR TN EX-MINISTER Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha’s former cabinet colleague, K. Ponnuswami’s term of three years imprisonment in the Rs 77 lakh disproportionate assets case was uphead. Ponnuswami and his family had gathered wealth excessive to their known source of income during his tenure as education minister between 1993-96. After Ponnuswami filed a revision petition, his family members were acquitted while his verdict and 3-year sentence was affirmed by the court. (The Times of India, August 1, 2001, summary by Kelli Johnston).

CORRUPTION RULES IN INDIAN SUBCONTINENT India and Pakistan have been placed on the primary concern list of 175 countries hit by money laundering that is estimated by the IMF to be $1.5 trillion per year through the world’s financial system. Globalization has resulted in flight of capital from periphery countries to world financial centers; from poor, developing states to rich, developed states; and Islamabad is making a bid to reverse the trend by offering incentives. U.K. and U.S. politicians have expressed dissatisfaction over their countries' efforts to tackle money laundering, which U.S. experts claim distorts business decisions, increases the risk of bank failures, and takes control of the economy away from the government. (The Earth Times, June 14, 2001, summary by Marg Reynolds).

NEW DELHI: BLANKET SANCTION FOR CENTRAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

S.M. Khan, Central Bureau of Investigation spokesman, stated the organization was investigating three or four cases when the previous government withdrew permission to continue. The CBI has now been asked by Onkar Singh in New Delhi Manipur Governor Ved Prakash Marwah, to investigate corruption charges against the state’s politicians and also their nexus with the twenty odd militant groups operating in the state. The CBI is now permitted to register cases against anyone. However, Marwah believes his first priority will be to tackle the state’s financial problems as of the annual budget of Rs. 11 billion, a mere Rs. 1.5 billion remains after payment of salaries and compulsory interest. The state will remain under President’s rule for an indefinite period. (Rediff.com, June 13, 2001, summary by Marg Reynolds).

AN ‘ONLINE’ PLEDGE AGAINST CORRUPTION In an attempt to persuade industrialists, celebrities, government officials, and members of the public not to accept or offer bribes, Amit Malik, a concerned citizen, has provided a platform whereby people may register their pledge. Deeply anguished over the recent Tehelka exposure of high level government corruption, Amit has set up a website that presently has no funding and no commercial objective; however, he is hopeful that his efforts will formulate a strong public opinion leading to forming adequate anti-corruption laws in government offices. The site is located at: http://www.corruptionfreezone.org (Ciol, June 4, 2001, summary by Marg Reynolds).

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFORMS RURAL RECORDS, FIGHTS CORRUPTION, BOOSTS TRANSPARENCY Rajeev Chawla, senior official at the state revenue department, has spearheaded a low cost, transparent, e-governance initiative by which land records may be purchased by farmers rather than rely upon handwritten records of some corrupt village accountants. For pennies, a bonus of user-friendly data is also available on irrigation, soil, crops, rights, tenancy and ownership. The records are tamper-proof, as fingerprints will identify those who change records. Digitally scanned paper records are computer-stored which helps track application status for ownership changes. A similar project has been initiated in Andhra Pradesh. (AOL News (Reuters), May 31, 2001, summary by Marg Reynolds).

TEHELKA EXPOSE FELLS THREE DEFENSE MINISTRY OFFICIALS R.P. Bagai, Chief Vigilance Officer of the Defense Ministry, formed a committee by which three civilian officials to date have been found guilty of corruption and misconduct. The offcials exposed on tape by Tehelka on corruption in defense deals include: H.C. Pant, Ordinance Factory Board Deputy Secretary, who received Rs. 50,000 in three installments; P. Sasi, posted at Army Headquarters, who received a bribe of Rs. 20,000; and Narendra Singh, Assistant Financial Advisor, who received a bribe of Rs. 10,000. The three men have been suspended. L.N. Mehta, a former Secretary in the Defense Ministry, also appeared in the Tehelka tapes. (Rediff, May 26, 2001, summary by Marg Reynolds).

STING JOURNALISM WEBSITE SELLS SHARES Tehelka.com Ltd. Is planning an equity dilution whereby 20-25 percent of its 700 million rupee ($14.9 million) equity will be exchanged for 1,000 rupees ($21.3) per share. The shares will not be exchange listed, but rather, sold to friends and personal contacts. Tarun Tejpal, Editor-in-Chief, is hoping to raise funds ranging from 140 to 200 million rupees to support Tehelka journalists’ further probes into bribery and influence-peddling. Tehelka has received letters, e-mails, and telephone calls from around the world in support of its work in obtaining the ‘Tehelka Tapes’. (AOL News (Reuters), May 21, 2001, summary by Marg Reynolds).

The civil aviation ministry suspended Air India, State owned airline’s managing director Michael Mascarenhas and P K Sinha, a regional director, indefinitely on corruption charges Wednesday, saying this would ensure an impartial investigation. (Dow J Newswires, May 24, 2001)

RETURN OF THE DRAGON LADY’ – PAST CORRUPTION WIPED FROM MEMORY. Jayalalitha Jayaram, leader of the AIADMK Party, former film star, former Chief Minister, and one of the most corrupt and inefficient politicians in Asia, has won a sweeping victory in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. She was convicted of corruption six months ago, had been barred from holding office, and was ineligible to stand for the state assembly from her previous position of Chief Minister. The other two political forces in the region – the DMK Party and the Congress Party – have also proved to be corrupt and inefficient. The only option for the voters of Tamil Nadu is to keep the door to power revolving as India’s politicians tend to have tin ears, do not get the message, and will not clean up their ranks. (Times Asia, May 17, 2001, summary by Marg Reynolds).

COURT SAYS OK TO SEIZE PROPERTY OF CORRUPT OFFICIALS The Supreme Court has recommended lawmakers decide whether the time is ripe for an amendment to be forwarded to the legislature whereby illegally acquired property of civil servants may be seized to control the growth of corruption. Justices B.N. Kirpal, M.B. Shah, and Ruma Pal comprised a Bench, which observed the mad race for overnight wealth has affected the moral standards of the people and the government institutions in all forms. (Times of India, May 17, 2001, summary by Marg Reynolds).

75 ‘CORRUPT’ ENGINEERS IDENTIFIED Om Prakash Singh, PWD Minister, has prepared a list of seventy-five blacklisted engineers that have been removed from field jobs and will be replaced by those who have sound financial integrity. The list was prepared based upon financial irregularities committed and adverse entries received, and this is the second tabulation of this data. The initial process did not have government backing, however, the second attempt to identify corrupt engineers has been initiated by the Minister, himself. (Times of India, May 16, 2001, summary by Marg Reynolds).

COURT-MARTIAL FOR OFFICERS CAUGHT TAKING BRIBES ON TEHELKA TAPE. Lt. General Surjit Singh Sangra, army commander at Chandimandir, will recommend a General Court Matrial for six serving army officers caught taking bribes on tape by Tehelka journalists. The officers include: Major General P.S.K. Choudhary, took Rs. 100,000 to push through hand held thermal imagers; major General Manjit Singh Ahluwalia, wanted a bottle of Blue Label scotch whiskey; Major General Satnam Singh, offered advice on procurement; Brigadier Iqbal Singh, took Rs. 50,000 for advising Tehelka to lobby through Major General Choudhary; Colonel Anil Sehgal, demanded Rs. 200,000 as ‘the money goes all the way up to George Fernandex; and Lt. Colonel Sharma, procurement officer, for improper conduct. None of the officers admitted accepting the bribes, with the exception of Major General Choudhary, however, there is sufficient evidence against them. (The Indian Express, May 16, 2001, summary by Marg Reynolds).

WHAT HAPPENS TO CORRUPTION WHEN BUREAUCRATS JUST SAY ‘NO’ India’s abysmal rating on the corruption perception index is due to the political executive and its associated bureaucracy, however foreign investors have faith in the judicial system. When a compliant higher bureaucracy imposes then relaxes import controls, levies then reduces excise and customs duties, bans then allows commodity exports, or awards large contracts without transparency, it is not a new phenomena in India or in other countries. But India is considered a case of its own as recording and examining related precedents is required before processing, and if less than fully conformable or self-explanatory, it is bound to be returned by the Cabinet Secretary. Until transparency and responsibility for wrong decisions is legally enforced in the Constitution, naivete as a cure-all for corruption will work much of the time, in place of diminishing wrong-doing. (Times of India, May 11, 2001, summary by Marg Reynolds).

POLITICIAN FACING ARREST ON EMBEZZLEMENT CHARGES Laloo Prasad Yadav, chief minister of the state of Jharkhand, has been accused of embezzling nearly $40,000 between 1990 and 1996, which is the second charge of his career. He had been forced to resign, but his wife, Rabri Devi, illiterate and non-political, is his successor and Yadav runs the state by remote control. (BBC News, May 8, 2001, summary by Marg Reynolds).

INDIAN JOURNALISTS WHO EXPOSED CORRUPTION ‘FACED MURDER PLOT’

Tarun Tejpal, managing director and editor-in-chief of Tehelka, and Aniruddha Bahal, his senior reporter, were recently targets in a plot by six known gangsters from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh states. Despite excessive security, Mr. Tejpal stated he was told by an acting commissioner of police that they were adding more security, and that ammunition and arms had been seized thereby foiling the plans of the suspects. A special commission of police intelligence stated the plan was the work of Inter-Service Intelligence, the military intelligence of Pakistan, and if successful, could have further discredited the government. Further internal disturbances would have resulted after the government’s collapse. (Independent News, May 8, 2001, summary by Marg Reynolds).

FINANCE MINISTER APPEALS FOR ETHICAL CLEAN-UP High ethical standards are required to salvage the reformist budget in light of the domestic financial market turmoil of the past two months. Banks, companies, and brokers formed a shadowy alliance to rig share prices; although the Securities and Exchange Board (Sebi) unveiled tough compliance rules for corporate governance last year. Sebi has been ineffective against corrupt, powerful brokers and a compliant stock exchange management. Yashwant Sinha, Finance Minister, stated self-regulation was preferable to legislation of markets and that growth targets would never be met as small investors have been driven away by a lack of ethics. Sebi has banned several brokers and also Credit Suisse First Boston; a foreign entity that has challenged the ban. (FT, May 3, 2001, summary by Marg Reynolds).

CURBS ON CENTRAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION HELP ‘CORRUPT’ THRIVE. Mallikarjuna Kharge, Home Minister, recently announced the state government did not intend to withdraw the restriction that the Central Bureau of Investigation obtain prior permission to arrest a central government employee to face corruption charges. The Home Department officials are tipping off influential corrupt officials, and are also causing delays in giving permission, which gives corrupt officials time to hide their assets and property. (Deccan Herald, Apr 26, 2001, summary by Marg Reynolds).

STOCK MARKET SCANDAL MAY HALT PLANS TO PRIVATISE 27 STATE COMPANIES. India’s plan to privatize twenty-seven state-owned companies may be undermined due to the ban of three companies from bidding for privatized assets by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) due to price-rigging scandals and also due to the Bombay stock exchange manipulation of last month. Opposition parties claim the privatization process is corrupt and rigged; however, Arun Shourie, Minister for Privatization, stated disinvestment by the government is pointless if a public sector company cannot raise market capital. Companies presently banned are Videocon, BPL Communications, the state telecoms company, and Sterlite Industries; together with Credit Suisse First Boston, pending investigation of its part in the share price crash. (FT, Apr 23, 2001, summary by Marg Reynolds).

KOLKATA. Kolkata, the Nerve Centre of Money Laundering. By bribing bank officials, accused Sudeep Rai Sharma kept on moving funds from Kolkata to Port Blair, then back to Kolkata and then on to Chennai so that the funds get lost midway in layers of fictitious transactions.  On Saturday, The CBI Anti Corruption Wing unearthed a racket spread over Kolkata, Port Blair and Chennai.  Acting on a tip-off , they found six savings bank accounts were opened in the IOB Strand Road branch under fictitious names. Having deposited Rs 7.75 crore in 11 fictitious accounts, Rs 5.51 crore was withdrawn and converted into 63 demand drafts again using fictitious names.  Of these drafts, 27 were converted into FDs at IOB's Port Blair branch.  Of the remaining  36 drafts, 3 were credited into 3 SB accounts opened in IOB's Port Blair branch under fictitious names.  It was Sudeep Rai Sharma who signed as the introducer.  The remaining 33 drafts were used to purchase FDs in the name of different persons.  These were cashed prematurely and again converted into FD in favour of another set of people.  According to CBI this was called layering. The value of the FDs created in Port Blair was transferred to IOB's Salt Lake branch in Kolkata.  Money thus made its way from Port Blair to Kolkata again.  In Kolkata, Rai Sharma bribed IOB officials and managed to get 28 banks' cheques which were credited to the accounts of so-called payees in Chennai. CBI feel s that opening so many accounts on the same day, without proper verification, was not possible without active connivance of bank officials.  Tarun Bose, the then branch manager of IOB, Strand Road branch, is under investigation.  (htt;://www.timesofindia.com, May 9,2001, summary by B. Gray).

REVENUE BOSS’S DOWNFALL EXPOSES CORRUPTION IN CUSTOMS The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) plans to produce audio tapes as evidence in court to support allegations of corruption against B.P. Verma, suspended chairman of the Central Board for Excise and Customs. The Board is responsible for the collection of more than 530 billion rupees (8 billion Pds.+) in projected tax revenue and losses due to smuggling – ranging from silk, medicines, drugs, and arms – has been uncovered. But the question has been posed as to how much the removal of one man is likely to change anything at all. (Independent, Apr 15, 2001, summary by Marg Reynolds).

New Delhi, PANEL SEEKS VIEWS ON CODE OF ETHICS. The Lok Sabha Committee on Ethics, headed by the former Prime Minister, Mr. Chandra Shekhar, has recently sent its suggestions to leaders of political parties. Among the issues examined are: the procedure to be adopted in dealing with ethics-related complaints against MPs; whether the MPs should declare their assets at the time of taking oath; whether a code of conduct should be introduced for all the MPs. Meanwhile, the Lok Pal Bill, a prioritized legal document, has not been yet put to vote. The bill is meant to provide the mechanism for looking into charges of corruption against Ministers and the Prime Minister. But apparently the MPs, cutting across party lines, want to be left out of its purview. They argue that they are already covered under the Prevention of Corruption Act. (Source: The Hindu, April 9, 2001, summary by Pavlidis George).

PRIME MINISTER SAYS ROOT CAUSE OF CORRUPTION IS GREED Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Prime Minister, called upon people to observe ‘Sayyam’ (control of desire); ‘Aparigraha’ (not to accumulate wealth more than required); and ‘Ahimsa’ (non-violence). He stated that greed was the root cause of corruption, that non-violence does not spring from weakness and cowardice, and ‘if we remain passive and forgive those who keep subjecting us to injustice and atrocities, then the act of forgiving becomes meaningless’. (Times of India, Apr 9, 2001, summary by Marg Reynolds).

OPPOSITION MINISTER RESIGNS AFTER NEW BRIBERY VIDEO V.S. Koujalagi, President of the Congress Party in the state of Karnata, stated in a resignation letter to Sonia Gandhi, Congress Party head, that the corruption charges against him were false and baseless. A videotape released by the ruling BJP party shows Koujalagy accepting a bribe of 40,000 rupees ($900) from a contract businessman. (Yahoo News (AFP), Apr 7, 2001, summary by Marg Reynolds).

UNUCHS SEEK POLITICAL POWER AS SOLUTION TO CORRUPTION IN GOVERNMENT Madhu - who uses only one name – a candidate for Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, stated eunuchs are better politicians and less open to corruption, as they have no mistress or family. Shabnam Mausi, who was the first eunuch elected to a legislature in India, was a Madhya Pradesh independent candidate, highlighted that voters are becoming disenchanted with ‘normal corrupt politicians’. Voters in the state subsequently elected eunuchs to the municipal council and to the office of mayor. (Ananova, Apr 5, 2001, summary by Marg Reynolds).

GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL TO STUDY CORRUPTION Transparency International (TI-I) will complete an eleven department study pointing out deficiencies in the system; perceptions of public utility service; remedial measures to be undertaken; and magnitude, depth and extent of corruption. Methodologies will range from statistically valid techniques to qualitative probes and participant observations. (Tehelka.com, Apr 5, 2001, summary by Marg Reynolds).

BLACK MONEY IS 40%? N. Vittal, the central vigilance commissioner (CVC) said that 40% of India’s GDP is in black money. Proxy ownership of property should be banned or confiscated. CVC sent a letter to the Indian government on this issue in 1999, but has received no reply. Delhi court wanted to disclose criminal background of each contestant for election, but Indian govt. has appealed this to the Supreme Court instead of supporting it. (Interview with India Abroad, March 30, 2001, p. 18).

RULING PARTY HEAD PROMISES ETHICS CODE K. Jana Krishnamurthi, new President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has stated the party is presently drafting a code of ethics for the country’s lawmakers and elected representatives. Upon reconvening Parliament, Congress and both communist parties will try to force the government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee to resign. (Ananova, Mar. 28, 2001, summary by Marg Reynolds).

INDIA: SECOND MAJOR BRIBERY SCANDAL SURFACES Vincent George, assistant to Sonia Gandhi, Congress leader, is being investigated for disproportionate wealth of Rs. 961,308 alleged not to have been legally earned between 1984 and 1990. Police stated they have investigated him for ten years, and that this is coincidental timing with the Tehelka.com scandal; not inspired by motives of vengeance or as a smokescreen by the National Democratic Alliance party. (FT, Mar. 22, 2001, summary by Marg Reynolds).

DEFENSE MINISTER RESIGNS IN TEHELKA.COM BRIBERY SCANDAL George Fernandes, defense minister, resigned yesterday in response to a documentary by Tehelka.com showing corruption in his ministry. Journalists posing as arms dealers were filmed bribing senior politicians, military officers and civil servants; the bribery scandal may adversely affect several major weapons purchases. (Irish Times, Mar. 16, 2001, summary by Marg Reynolds).

POLITICAL PARTY CHIEF RESIGNS AFTER ALLEGATION OF CORRUPTION

Bangaru Laxman, President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), resigned in response to allegations he accepted bribes from journalists posing as arms dealers, a charge he earlier denied. Laxman stated that acceptance of donations on behalf of BJP, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s political party, was within his rights. (Yahoo News (Reuters), Mar. 13, 2001, summary by Marg Reynolds).

BLAME FOR CORRUPTION AIMED AT TOP LEADERS In an annual session of the national legislature, lawmakers and government advisors called for political reform, political responsibility, leaders being held accountable for corruption involving officials under their control, supervising anti-corruption work from ‘outside’ the Communist Party, and restricting the government’s administrative powers relating to the economy. To eliminate corruption, authorities should render the processes and procedures more transparent. (Hong Kong iMail, Mar. 13, 2001, summary by Marg Reynolds).

New Delhi, GOVERNMENT BEGINS SOUL-SEARCHING. The government of India has commissioned a study to determine comparative corruption levels in various administrative departments. Transparency International India (TI) and its Delhi arm Lok Sevak Sangh will be conducting a survey of 10 prominent government departments: education, transport, food and civil supplies, sales tax, excise, social welfare, health, industries, subordinate judiciary and social welfare. According to Mr. Omkar Razdan, honorary secretary of TI, "the report will also cover aspects such as the level of political interference that sometimes provide protection to corrupt elements in government departments." TI hopes to complete the study in six months. TI will use a variety of methods (exit polls, personal interviews, ballot boxes in the departments, self-addressed questionnaires, consultations with present and retired heads of departments etc) and it will rate each department on a scale of 10. (Source: The Times of India, March 13, 2001, summary by Pavlidis George)

India’s Security and Exchange Board bans trading by its presidents, vice presidents and treasurers in response to a recent scandal, which lead to the resignation of the President (WSJ March 18, 2001).

TEHELKA (sensation in Hindi) TAPES BRIBERY IN DEFENSE DEPT (March 14, 2001, Click for details.) A major scandal surfaced last Tuesday when an Indian website, Tehelka.com, released incriminating videotapes of politicians, bureaucrats and army officials apparently receiving bribes from its journalists who were posing as arms dealers. The scandal has consumed a number of prominent politicians, one of the first and most important being Mr Georges Fernandes, who resigned proclaiming his innocence. Several other defence officials have also been suspended. The president of Mr Vajpayee's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also quit over the humiliation, and a key partner has pulled out from the ruling coalition. This reduces the government's majority by nine. The parliament has thus been paralysed, and India’s finance minister issued a dire warning that the country could face a constitutional crisis. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has ordered a probe by a Supreme Court judge with a four-month deadline. (18 March 2001, Channel News Asia, summary by Lu J.L.)

RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT TO BE GRADUALLY INTRODUCED

Professor B.K. Chandrashekar, Minister of State for Information, has announced the Right to Information Act would soon be introduced in the Departments of Rural Development, Health and Family Welfare, and Revenue. A delay has generated extensive debates, discussions and public opinion on it. The Act will also include the Office of the Governor, offices in the High Court, Office of the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, and the office of the Chairman of the Legislative Council. Prof. Chandrashekar stated that a nominal fee, subject to review, was prescribed to elicit information and critics question the success of the Act, given the low rate of literacy and the poverty in rural areas. (The Hindu, Feb. 25, 2001, summary by Marg Reynolds).

DHARAMSALA, Monk Deaths and Bribes. A Tibetan monk Saru Dawa, 27, was arrested at the Chinese border at Dram while returning to Tibet on Nov. 20, to visit his sick mother. He died under mysterious circumstances in the custody of Chinese police. After paying a bribe, the family was told Dawa committed suicide Jan. 9, 2000. Dawa's body was shown to the family Feb. 15 before being cremated. (Asso. Press, February 22, 2001, NY Times).

New Delhi: CHARGES FRAMED AGAINST HARSHAD MEHTA, the notorious financier, his brother Ashwin Mehta, UCO Bank Assistant Manager V N Deosthali and ONGC member (finance) M C Nawalakha. The securities scam case was related to Rs 680 crore ONGC funds during 1989-1991. Mehta brothers were framed under sections 120-B (Criminal Conspiracy), 409 (Criminal Breach of Trust) and 109 abetment of IPC, while others were charged under section 120-b of IPC and various provisions of the prevention of corruption act. Special Judge was Ajit Bharihoke. The ONGC funds were credited in Mehta's account no 1028 with the UCO bank, Hanuman Street branch, Mumbai and in pursuance of the conspiracy Nawalakha “dishonestly approved such proposal for investment”, CBI alleged. Deosthali allegedly helped Mehta brothers in diverting the funds to their accounts. The two officials thus abused their official position as public servants and made the money available to Mehta knowing fully well that the same would be used by Mehta for himself, CBI alleged. (Hindustan Times, Delhi, February 17, 2001).

Gopeshwar – Assets and funds for the organization managing the Hindu holy sites of Badrinath, Kedarnath, and 44 other temples have been subjected to corruption and mismanagement over the years. The organization has allegedly been plundered by land-grabbers, employees pocketing donated money, and an opulent top leadership. (The Times of India. Dec 14,2000. Summary by Fabian Camacho).

HALF OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE WITH CORRUPTION, SAYS SURVEY. An “exit poll” on corruption conducted by the Centre for Media Studies (CMS) revealed that almost half of those who use the services of the most-often visited public departments of the Indian government had first hand experience of bribery. Two-thirds think that corruption in these offices is real, while one-third thinks corruption is usually exaggerated. Still, 80 percent of the people are passive and had never complained about corruption. The poll was conducted during the Vigilance Awareness Week of October 31-November 4 in the five cities of Pune, Luncknow, Hyderabad, Chennai, and New Delhi at six government public service departments in each city. A total of 2,576 visitors to these agencies during the week were personally interviewed on their exits from the office. About 63 percent of the respondents think that corruption is not being handled seriously and that the judiciary has been ineffective. Most blame politicians and officers for the corruption in the country. Driving license and civil supplies offices were seen as most corrupt in all the five cities. While conducting the poll, CMS researches witnessed threats and obstacles at least once, usually from the “middle men” operating from outside the sampled offices. The poll is the first structured study on corruption in India. (The Hindu, 9 November 2000, summary by Debbie Uy).

New Delhi - India's cricket board is cross-examining five domestic players, a team physiotherapist, and a groundsman charged with fixing matches by a federal police report. Sri Lanka's cricket boards is also looking into similar allegations that two of the country's former captains were involved in match-fixing. (Irish Times, November 7, 2000, Summary by Fabian Camacho).

NEW DELHI: Excise Department Will Try to Ensure Transparency. A notice has been posted to take a step towards ending corruption in economic affairs and to ensure transparency in the government. The agreement will allow businessmen to have access to the Central Excise Department to “redress their grievances”. According to this plan, junior officials will also be prohibited to visit the premises of trade and industry unauthorized. (November 11, 2000, Times of India News, summary by Amanda Glatzel).

FORMER INDIAN PREMIER JAILED FOR CORRUPTION. Former Indian prime minister P V Narasimha Rao and senior cabinet colleague Buta Singh were sentenced on October 12 to three years in jail for corruption. The decision came after both were convicted of bribing opposition MPs in a crucial confidence vote in 1993. The first Indian prime minister to be convicted of criminal charges, Rao, 79, was found to have paid 16.8m rupees (about £340,000 in 1993) to four opposition MPs to secure their support in parliament. The other nine accused in the case were acquitted due to insufficient evidence. Rao and Singh were meted two three-year sentences, which are to run concurrently, and were fined Rs100,000 (£1,500). They were set a bail of Rs200,000 to allow them to appeal against the sentence before 8 November. (The Independent, 13 October 2000, summary by Debbie Uy).

Delhi, FORMER PRIME MINISTER CONVICTED OF BRIBERY, The former prime minister, PV Narasimha Rao, was convicted of corruption. Rao was member of the Congress Party, which governed India in the early 1990s. Rao and a Buta Singh, former senior minister, were found guilty of bribing four members of another party (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha -JMM) by offering the equivalent of $800,000. Both men denied that they attempted to persuade JMM to back their government during a crucial parliamentary vote of no confidence in July 1993. According to lawyers, the sentence can range from five to 10 years in jail. (Source: BBC, September 29, 2000, summary by Pavlidis George).

PRIME MINISTER OPPOSES IMF CONDITIONALITIES OF UNIFORM FINANCIAL STANDARDS AND CODES. The Finance Minister of India, Yashwant Sinha, addressing to the annual meetings of the IMF and the World Bank this year, disagreed with the IMF's proposition on the developing of new conditionalities in the form of uniform financial standards and codes for all countries. “Substituting for detailed plans and programs adopted by democratically constituted institutions,” would be inappropriate for the World Bank's Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers, Mr. Yashwant Sinha said. (Source: World Bank Development News, Sept. 28, 2000, summary by Pavlidis George).

COMMISSION TO BROBE CORRUPTION CASES IN NORTHEAST. According to official sources, a high-level commission has been set up by the government to investigate corruption allegations against politicians and bureaucrats in the country's northeastern states. “The commission will come into effect very soon and it is expected to unravel a very big corruption racket in the northeastern states,” officials said. The commission will also investigate whether some government funds have found their way into the pockets of separatist militant groups operating in the region. “Unless the level of corruption that is going on in the northeast is brought down, no amount of development funds from the central government can improve the regions economy and backwardness,” the Home Ministry official said. (Source: The Indian Express, September 26, 2000, summary by Pavlidis George).

TRANSPARENCY BILL: A BID FOR GREATER OPACITY A government attempt to legislate freedom of information is designed more to hide than to shed light on the workings of a notoriously opaque administrative machinery, critics say. Groups that have been crusading for the public´s right to know and for greater government transparency see the Freedom of Information Bill 2000, which has been put to Parliament, as an attempt to erect barriers so that the Government can stonewall those who demand information. They say the legislation defeats its alleged purpose by placing a blanket on information about all cabinet decisions, no matter how sensitive or trivial; by making too many exceptions and leaving too much room for administrative discretion; and by lacking provisions for holding officials accountable and for penalizing them if they withhold information.

The legislation is drafted by a committee dominated by bureaucrats, and the appeals process it maps out is complicated and time-consuming, to the extent that “one must paddle madly just so that one doesn´t drown”, as one activist puts it. The proposed law places no burden on the corporate sector to reveal any information that should be in the public domain, or on government to let the people know what is in their interest. In India, as elsewhere in South Asia, legislation such as the Official Secrets Act, a legacy of the British Raj, has been used to promote entrenched political and bureaucratic interests, according to activists. Information can be withheld on the pretext of national security, public order, social interest and commercial secrecy or at the discretion of the bureaucracy. In a society where the greasing of political and bureaucratic palms is a way of life, such laws have only helped shield the corrupt, critics of the bill argue. But the right to information is ceasing to be an intellectual obsession or an elitist concept. Awareness is beginning to percolate down to the grass roots that information the government withholds affects people directly. Vikram Khubchand, an associate research professor at the Centre for Policy Research says the proposed law should include provisions that help whistle-blowers and protect them from victimization, given the corruption and mismanagement that plague administration in India. South China Morning Post, September 4, 2000 http://www.scmp.com

Supreme Court favors speedy corruption trials (India Abroad, Mar. 24, 2000, p. 30)

Tasrem Sabhrwal, is convicted for laundering $100 million in UK (India Abroad, Mar. 24 2000, p.30)

Saint Kitts case of forged documents to implicate a politician: A trial has started tohear whether documents were forged to show that Ajeya Singh, son of former Prime Minister V. P. Singh had opened an account in the First Trust Corporation, at St. Kitts (Caribbean Island) for $21 million in 1987. His father was allegedly named as the beneficiary. (In. Abr., Apr 7, 2000, p.4)

Washington DC, USA --Indian employee of US Embassy held for extortion--

Following the January 15 arrest of Rakesh Kumar Kashyap, 36, a contract employee in New Delhi of the US Immigration and Naturalisation Service for alleged extortion, State and Justice Departments officials have launched a bribery and extortion Investigation of several employees at the US Embassy in New Delhi. The applicant Paramjit Kaur began receiving anonymous phone calls demanding a $ 13,000 bribe. INS investigators identified the voice as belonging to Kashyap, who had worked for the INS for eight years. (N. C. Menon, January 22, 2000, The Hindustan Times).

A Nationwide Study Results:-Small units, big bribes- A study of 156 small and medium industrial enterprises in Mumbai, Bangalore and Ahmedabad shows how every month, inspectors from the Excise Department and other official regulatory bodies descend upon the units, check records and collect their 'dues' before they leave. According to the study, conducted by the Bangalore-based Public Affairs Centre and Gallup-MBA India, over 60 per cent of the respondents admitted to paying bribes to inspectors to stay in their good books. The average amount worked out to Rs 2,328, though a third of the respondents paid over Rs 5,000. As the study points out, there are 2.5 million small and medium enterprises in the country. Even assuming that only 50 per cent of them pay bribes, the amount paid works out to Rs 291 crore every month. Or Rs 3,492 crore a year.

The study says the main reason behind the increasing corruption is the absence of an effective control mechanism. The well-entrenched existence of the inspector Raj has been compounded by non-responsive and lackadaisical agencies such as state electricity boards and city corporations which provide infrastructural support to the small-scale units. B N Vijayakumar, additional director (small-scale industries), Karnataka, points out “Most of the aberrations pointed out in the study seem to be from statutory departments like excise and electricity.” Faced with a host of problems like poor infrastructure, a high level of competition, difficult entry barriers, inadequate market information and long-drawn legal formalities, the entrepreneurs prefer to take the short-cut. Public agencies are quick to cash in. The study, which also set out to assess the impact of liberalisation on the industrial sector, says that despite large-scale corruption, small and medium units are upbeat about reforms. Though the red-tape in granting administrative approvals or assistance to the units leaves much scope for corruption, it was found that clearances were easier today than, say, in 1993. But liberalisation has hit the small players hard. In Karnataka, government departments are increasingly rejecting products made by small ancillary units because of the falling technical standards. But what the small units should realise is that the key to a turnaround is competition, not corruption. (India Today, May 23, 2000. summary by Rujuta Vinod).

A Billionaire’s Comments:-Wipro's chairman Azim H Premji speaks with INDIA TODAY Senior Editor Rohit Saran about Wipro's apparent infallible rise and his personal conviction towards honesty and integrity in business.- HE said, there was an instance when it took us 18 months just to get a dedicated power substation activated because we refused bribe. The power was for use in our Vanaspati plant, which is very heavily power-dependent. Yet we refused to pay the bribe, ran the plant for 20 months on captive generation, which cost us dearly. In another instance a large consignment of PCBs (printed circuit boards) was confiscated at a port because we did pay a customs official. Our shipments got stuck in the critical month of September and we had problems with our customers. But we did not pay bribe. The consignment was finally released through a court order. Wipro has had a clear policy that for all re-imbursements one has to spend the money to claim them. We would sack any employee who does that even if he or she is the President of the company. The sacked employee was a union leader and our entire headquarters office was on strike for two-and-a-half months. But we did not take him back. There is no point in talking of integrity and not doing it when it comes to the bite. My experience is that people are generally honest. A majority of the people whom I know have made compromises are very unhappy doing it. Being dishonest is unnatural to most. One must only ensure that people must come from a culture where they haven't learnt bad habits. Therefore, we recruit very heavily from campuses. (May 23, 2000, summary by Rujuta Vinod).

New Delhi.--Bofors Probe: Arun makes startling revelations Sudhi Ranjan Sen --Soon after India sought Swiss assistance for details of bank accounts through which the Bofors bribe money was layered, Mr. Solanki passed on a letter( given by then Indian Ambassador) to his Swiss counterpart asking them to slow down the probe. This startling fact was disclosed to the CBI by former Union Minister Arun Nehru. He then said.. I never said that Rajiv received the money. I always asked why he was protecting those who had received the money”. A cover-up operation was done in Sweden to save their Prime Minister.” --Hindujas refuse to join probe in India --Hinduja brothers have allegedly refused to join the Bofors bribery case investigations. Senior officers of the Union Home Ministry told The Hindustan Times that the Hindujas have not agreed to join the investigations in India. The CBI, after receiving the final set of bank documents in the Bofors bribery case from Switzerland, had asked the Hindujas to join the investigations. The documents contain details of bribery money layered through several bank accounts in Switzerland. (January 24, 2000, The Hindustan Times, summary by Rujuta Vinod).

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is investigating financial dealings of Vincent George, the private secretary of Congress President Sonia Gandhi. (India Abroad, Feb 25, 2000, p. 14).

New Delhi.- Held for bribe: The Anti-Corruption Branch arrested an employee (NK Arora) of an insurance company for having accepted a bribe of Rs 7,500 today. Devender Kumar, a resident of Shakapur on Jan 29 filed a claim about his stolen car at National Insurance Company. Mr. Kumar contacted Arora, who worked as an assistant manager in the company, and he demanded a bribe of Rs 12,500. Mr. Kumar then contacted the Anti-Corruption sleuths who later arrested the accused red-handed. (HT Correspondent, February 2, 2000).

New Delhi. --CBI claims charges against Rao, Buta proved in JMM (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha) case --THE CBI today told the special court hearing the MPs' bribery case that charges of conspiracy and abetment of crime have been proved against former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao and former Union Home Minister Buta Singh, both accused in the case. According to the CBI, the accused had conspired and bribed some MPs from the JMM, the Janata Dal (Ajit) and some other parties in a bid to defeat the no-confidence motion. The Congress Government at the Centre had survived by barely 14 votes. (HT Correspondent, March 29, 2000).

New Delhi.--- SC objects to Madras HC’s interference in Tansi scam case --The Supreme Court today observed that it was not proper on the part of the Madras High Court to interfere in the trial of AIADMK leader Ms Jayalalitha in the Rs 3.5 crore Tansi land scam case in which the trial was at an advanced stage. The Supreme Court, however, had asked the trial court not to pronounce the verdict while the State Government's appeal was still pending. The State Government alleged that Ms Jayalalitha had purchased the land in the name of Jaya Publications and Sashi Enterprises in violation of the code of conduct, which barred public servants from bidding government properties. Both the firms were owned in partnership by the former Chief Minister and her close associate Sashikala. (HT Correspondent, April 18, 2000, summary by Rujuta Vinod).

Sonepat traders evade payment of market fee--- Some officials of the market committee are said to be in league with them, receiving bribe money from the traders on a regular basis. In exchange of this bribe, these officials make false entries in the registers, showing less arrivals and sale of vegetables and fruits. The officials feel helpless to probe the complaints filed against them. Meanwhile, some members of the Arhtias Association and the Retailers Welfare Association today sent a memorandum to Chief Minister Om Parkash Chautala demanding a high-level probe into the racket and demanded stern action against the erring traders and market committee officials. (HT Correspondent, June 12, 2000).

New Delhi. --JMM bribe money deposited in Delhi bank, says witness -- The bribe money allegedly paid to the JMM MPs (Suraj Mandal) in the Members of Parliament bribery case was deposited at a Delhi bank in July 31, 1993, a prosecution witness(Jawahar Lal) told the court hearing the case today. Jawahar said that on reaching Suraj Mandal’s residence, they were handed over two suitcases (withdrawing it from a Bangalore branch of Canara Bank) containing currency notes by Mr Mandal, which they brought back to the bank in his van. They were followed by another official of the bank in a separate car who brought cash in two bags. Jawahar stated that the bags were taken to the bank manager’s cabin where the money was taken out and counted (currency notes of Rs 500, 100 and 50 denominations). Proceedings of the case will continue on August 12, the next date of hearing. ( HT Correspondent, August 4, 2000).

New Delhi.-Vigil Begins at Home- Central Vigilance Commissioner N. Vittal may be determined to wipe out corruption from India but he is learning the hard way. At a conference in Mumbai last week, he was waxing eloquent on how the Vigilance Commission had made it mandatory for PSUs and government departments to make available to the public the contact numbers of chief vigilance officers. The idea: to encourage people to report bribe seekers. When he finished, he was in for a surprise. He was told that boards displaying numbers had already been put up in Mumbai offices. And that the firm that won the contract for the boards had to bribe a well-placed officer. (India Today, April 14, 2000, summary by Rujuta Vinod).

New Delhi.-SBI official sentenced to one-year rigorous imprisonment- A chief manager of State Bank of India (SBI) in Bhopal, K.L. Nagpal, has been sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for one year for demanding and accepting bribe from a complainant for sanctioning a loan, the CBI said. Delivering the verdict, the special judge in Bhopal also imposed a fine of Rs 2,000 on Nagpal, the press release said. The CBI alleged the accused had abused his official position while functioning as chief manager of SBI's branch at Piplani in Bhopal and demanded a bribe of Rs 10,000 from the complainant for sanctioning a loan of Rs one lakh. The loan was sought for starting a tent house business under Prime Minister's Rozgar Yojna, the statement said. Following a request of the complainant, the accused agreed to accept Rs 1,000 initially and subsequent amount later. The CBI laid a trap and the bank manager was caught while accepting the money. (February 11, 2000, summary by Rujuta Vinod).

JUNIOR MUNICIPAL ENGINEER CAUGHT TAKING BRIBE

http://support.casals.com/aaaflash1/busca.asp?ID_AAAControl=2971

The Hindustan Times, August 17, 2000

FORMER MINISTER AMASSED GREAT WEALTH THROUGH CORRUPT ACTS

http://support.casals.com/aaaflash1/busca.asp?ID_AAAControl=2988

The Times of India, August 22, 2000

http://www.timesofindia.com/220800/22mbom3.htm

OFFICIAL ARRESTED WHILE ACCEPTING BRIBE

http://support.casals.com/aaaflash1/busca.asp?ID_AAAControl=2949

The Times of India, August 21, 2000

http://www.timesofindia.com/today/21mpan2.htm

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