PAC: Radia evasive during questioning
Corporate lobbyist Niira Radia, who deposed before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday, remained “evasive” on queries put to her by committee members, including PAC chairman Murli Manohar Joshi. The PAC is looking into the CAG report on irregularities in allocation of 2G spectrum licences.
Dr Joshi, who briefed the media after the corporate lobbyist deposed before the PAC, said Ms Radia was “tentative” in her replies and was not in a mood to place facts as far as her tapped telephonic conversations were concerned. Ms Radia, who was quizzed for around two hours, also claimed she has not heard all the tapes. The PAC had asked her to give a list of recordings she had heard.
Tata Sons chairman Ratan Tata also deposed before the PAC on Monday and Dr Joshi said he was “candid” in his replies.
Ms Radia’s tapped phone conversations with politicians, corporates, bureaucrats and journalists form a key part of the investigation into the 2G spectrum scam. “It was felt by the PAC that Niira Radia was not putting facts clearly. When asked about the tapes, at first she dilly-dallied and was evasive,” Dr Joshi said.
The PAC chairman said Ms Radia’s initial responses to questions about the tape were very evasive but was then informed that she was there as a witness and several tapes are already on the website. “When she said she had heard some of the tapes, we said you give us the list of these tapes,” Dr Joshi said. Ms Radia contended before the committee that some of the tapes could be doctored, sources said.
When asked whether the PAC asked Ms Radia whether she spoke to some senior journalists and politicians, Dr Joshi said Ms Radia “accepted” that she talked to senior journalists, politicians and industrialists “and a whole lot of other people” but contended that she was “too small a person to influence Cabinet formation”.
The PAC has also asked Reliance Communications chairman Anil Ambani, Etisalat DB Telecom CEO Atul Jhamb, S-Tel CEO Shamik Das and Unitech Wireless managing director Sigve Brekke to appear before it on Tuesday.
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