The CBI has collected documents related to the share-holding pattern of some private telecom companies, who were in the race for 2G allotment, from the Union ministry of corporate affairs and the telecom commission in connection with its probe related to alleged irregularities committed in the allotment of Unified Access Service (UAS) licences.
According to sources, the opinion of telecom commission and the corporate affairs ministry will be important for the CBI in finalising the list of ineligible telecom companies who were allotted Unified Access Service licences.
Certain members of the Trai are also being consulted by the CBI officials in this regard, sources added.
“The agency recently collected all required details about Shahid Balwa’s Swan Telecom (now Etisalat-DB Telecom Private Ltd) from the ministry of company affairs. Now, the documents are being scrutinised,” sources said. The probe has also revealed that former telecom minister Mr A. Raja did not follow DoT’s own guidelines on eligibility conditions.
Sources further said, “The Swan Telecom off-loaded its majority shares after getting UAS licences without taking approval from the competent authority.
Investigation by the agency has also revealed that the entire equity in the form of 10,79,100 shares held by an Indian company in the Swan Telecom of Shahid Balwa, were allegedly transferred by it to Mauritius-based M/S Delphi Investment on December 5, 2007”.
“Officials of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) did not examine the applications for UAS licences properly, which finally led to the grant of certain ineligible applicants,” sources said.