Kamat’s statment recorded in film fest scam case: CBI

PANAJI - The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has already recorded Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat’s statement in the multi-crore-rupee 2004 international film festival infrastructure scam, an official said Tuesday.

“We have already recorded the statement of the chief minister who was one of the core committee members for IFFI (International Film Festival of India) 2004, along with Goa Assembly Speaker Pratapsingh Rane and many other members of the committee,” CBI superintendent S.S. Gavli said.

The main accused in the alleged IFFI infrastructure scam is former chief minister and senior Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) leader Manohar Parrikar, who as the head of the key decision-making core committee, was accused of engineering the alleged financial irregularities in creation of infrastructure for IFFI 2004.

Parrikar’s statement was recorded by the CBI last month.

While Parrikar was the head of the core committee, Kamat, then a senior BJP minister in the cabinet, was a member of the committee.

Kamat joined the Congress subsequently and became the chief minister in 2007.

The core committee also comprised Rane and three ministers in the present Kamat-led government. They are: Power Minister Alexio Sequeira, Water Resources Minister Philip Neri Rodrigues and Education Minister Atanasio Monserrate.

Gavli, however, remained tightlipped about when the CBI would file a charge sheet in the IFFI 2004 scam case.

“We would not like to divulge details at this juncture. The probe is now in an advanced stage,” he said.

–Indo Asian News Service