The CBI which is probing several cases of corruption in the conduct of the Commonwealth Games (CWG) has reportedly failed to recover the original tender documents related to the appointment of the London-based Event Knowledge and Service (EKS) as consultant for the Games.
The London-based EKS was appointed as technical consultant for the Games. The EKS, a company hired for `29 crores as technical consultant for the Games, was allegedly given undue favours by the Organising Committee members.
“The persistent demand by the probe agencies of the file related to the appointment of the EKS, may force the OC to get register a police case against the OC members responsible for keeping the original file,” sources said.
It is reliably learnt that the OC has asked certain sacked as well as former officials to make the original file available or face police case against them, sources added.
On the condition of anonymity a senior official of the Organising Committee said, “The file related to EKS appointment has not been found so far, even during the CBI raids.” The responsible OC members as well as former officials responsible for keeping this file have been categorically asked to make the file available at the earliest or face legal action, sources said. If they don’t provide file, the OC will be forced to lodge a case against them with the police, sources added.
The CBI has also decided to question sacked OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi and secretary general Lalit Bhanot in connection with its probe into the appointment of the EKS, sources said. An interim report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India had already said that the EKS deal was an example of undue favours, sources added.
“The CBI officials want to know who finally gave the approval for hiring EKS as consultant and also the date of approval. The agency officials also want to study the original tender document related to EKS contract. The role of the former chief executive officer (CEO) of the Commonwealth Games Federation Mike Hopper in awarding contract to the EKS is also being probed,” sources said.
The OC has also stopped partial payment of the EKS other contract.
Two instalments of its contract for project monitoring, which is around `4 crores, have been stopped by the Organising Committee, sources added.
There is also a possibility of tax evasion by the company, which is being probed by the central agencies, sources said.