The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday questioned R.K. Chandolia, personal secretary to former telecom minister A. Raja, in connection with its probe into the 2G spectrum scam. The ED is also likely to issue summons to Mr. Raja in connection with its probe into the scam very soon. The ED officials questioned Mr Chandolia for nearly six hours.
Sources said that he may be summoned for questioning again. The ED has already registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in the month of March this year against unknown officials of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and representatives of certain private companies in connection with the award of new telecom licenses in 2008.
The CBI has also registered a case saying there was large-scale corruption in the allocation of 2G radio spectrum licences in 2009.
Sources said, “ED officials also asked questions related to his bank transactions. Mr Chandolia reportedly submitted his transaction details to the ED officials.
He was also questioned about his equations with the former Telecom minister and private companies who were in the race of 2G allotment”. The ED has already issued summons to nine private telecom companies in connection with its probe. The ED is likely to issue summons for questioning to A. Raja very soon, sources added. “Some senior DoT officers allegedly granted unified access services licenses to a few selected companies at nominal rate by rejecting the applications of the others without any valid reasons thereby causing wrongful loss to the government and corresponding wrongful gain to private persons or companies.
The licenses were awarded to certain companies by putting a cap on the number of applicants against the recommendations of the TRAI”, sources said.