The CBI has asked the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India to form a special team to investigate the financial aspect of the investigations in connection with 2G spectrum auctions in which the Union telecom minister, Mr A. Raja is facing charges of corruption.
“The CAG has been requested to form a special team that would go into the financial parts of the case,” said CBI director, Mr Ashwani Kumar.
He added that the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has already carried out an inquiry into the case but the financial part was something that could be explained.
To a query on whether the CBI would consider the tapes in which lobbyist, Ms Nira Radia was in conversation with Mr Raja in connection with the 2G spectrum auction, Mr Kumar said that one would have to consider the timings of the recorded conversations.
“If the tapes pertain to the period under investigation, we may consider it, otherwise not,” said Mr Kumar.
The CBI had registered a case against Mr Raja following allegations that a possible loss of more than Rs 20,000 crore was incurred in the 2G auction where only two players were allotted the spectrum.
Mr Raja, meanwhile has maintained from the onset that there was no wrongdoing on his part, and he was being framed.
The CAG had pointed out that the government had lost out on a possible Rs 26,000 crore by not following the proper procedure in the 2G spectrum auction.
The issue of 2G spectrum auction has come back to the fore after the government raked in more than Rs 67,719 crore in the 34 days auction of 3G spectrum that was concluded on Wednesday.