PANAJI: The Government Examiner of Questioned Documents (GEQD), Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Hyderabad has confirmed that the signatures on the files pertaining to the alleged multi-crore PWD tender scam are that of former PWD Minister Churchill Alemao.
The Crime Branch probing the alleged multi-crore PWD tenders scam had sent handwriting and signature specimen of Alemao for verification at GEQD, Hyderabad and the report has come positive.
Sources informed that Churchill Alemao had reportedly granted administrative approval to the PWD tenders and the files carried his signatures as such the documents along with handwriting and signature specimens of Alemao were sent for verification to GEQD, Hyderabad.
According to information, the probe is in the final stage and once auditor submits a report on the loss caused to the state exchequer, the chargesheet will be filed. Sources informed that a private auditor was appointed sometime back to evaluate the loss caused in the tender scam and the report in this connection is expected soon.
Alemao is one of the accused in the case and has been already questioned by the investigation agency. Sources revealed that Alemao had claimed his innocence putting the blame on the engineers even though he had reportedly granted administrative approval.
It may be recalled that in December 2013 Crime Branch had registered an FIR against Alemao and PWD executive engineer P T Parker (now retired) for their alleged involvement in the PWD tenders scam.
In connection with the case, police had questioned MLA Babu Kavlekar and former MLA Shyam Satardekar as during the course of investigation it came to light that Satardekar and Kavlekar had recommended names of some of the contractors, who subsequently were awarded the work. It is learnt that both Kavlekar as well as Satardekar in their statements to the police had accepted that they had recommended names of some contractors. Police had also questioned the former Executive Engineer, PWD, P T Parker on a number of occasions including several PWD contractors.
The complainant in the case Sunil Kawthankar had alleged that the former PWD Minister Churchill Alemao cheated the government by illegally awarding tenders worth crores of rupees, in PWD’s works division (roads). The FIR was lodged after a court order directing the Crime Branch to register a case. As per the complaint, around 258 tenders were fraudulently awarded in works division XXV (Roads) without following proper procedure, violating the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) guidelines. This according to the complainant was done in order to grant the works to the favored contractors.
