Investigations by the Central probe agencies have revealed that the top brass of the Organising Committee (OC) of the Commonwealth Games (CWG) knowingly did not put a date along with their signatures on most of the files in an apparent bid to cover for future’s scrutiny, while leaving enough scope to allegedly manipulate the deals they were getting into.
According to sources, the probe by the agencies has revealed that majority of the files signed by top officials did not bear the date on which they were cleared by them.
They blatantly violated the office “order”, issued on November 26, 2009, regarding mentioning of the date along with th e signatures on all files related to Games contracts, sources added.
Sources further said, “In majority of the files related to procurement, catering (`84 crores), technology (`215 crores), workforce (`29 crores), logistics and Queen’s Baton Relay (`3.5 crores), such irregularities have been detected by the agencies”.
The CBI had registered two FIRs in connection with irregularities in contracts related to the Queen’s Baton Relay and arrested three former Games committee officials. The agency had booked Mr Bhanot and director-general of the OC, V.K. Verma, in connection with irregularities in awarding a contract to a Swiss company for the time, scoring and result (TSR) system of the Games.
An interim report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India had already said that one of the deals was an example of undue favours, sources added.
The CBI officials want to know who finally gave the approval for hiring a consultant and also the date of approval, sources said.
It has also come into the notice of the probe agencies that some of the tainted Organising Committee officials allegedly signed the crucial documents and back-dated then.
For instance, a file related to the QBR was signed (as per the record) by a top official of the Organising Committee in London on October 24, 2009, whereas the probe by the agency has revealed that the same official was present in New Delhi on that particular day, sources said adding the erring Organising Committee official reached London on October 26 and allegedly signed the file and back-dated it.