Aircel-Maxis Deal: CBI Issues Judicial Request To 4 Countries, Including Malaysia

By M. Saraswathi NEW DELHI (India), April 16 (Bernama) -- A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court, acting on a CBI investigation’s plea has issued judicial requests to four countries seeking details of the money trail in the Aircel-Maxis deal, in which former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran is an accused. The Letters Rogatory (LR) to the United Kingdom, Bermuda, Malaysia and Mauritius were issued by a Patiala House court last week in the case. The CBI has alleged that Maran had received US$10.65 (Rs547 crore) as kickbacks from Malaysian telecom company Maxis, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported quoting sources. The agency is also likely to question Maran in connection with the case in April, they said. These allegations have been refuted by the former minister. An email seeking Maxis's comments remained unanswered, said PTI. The LRs are an attempt by the agency to get details of financial transactions from these four countries, which would help in deciphering the money trail involved in the case, sources said. The CBI probe has reached the shores of Caribbean island Bermuda and the United Kingdom, from where the money was allegedly routed to Indian companies, sources said. The agency had earlier confined its probe to Malaysia and Mauritius in connection with alleged routing of money in the takeover of Aircel by Malaysian giant Maxis, said PTI. (US$1 = Rs51.34) --BERNAMA