ID :
197863
Thu, 07/28/2011 - 12:49
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https://www.oananews.org//node/197863
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No record of meeting referred to by Behura in 2G court: Sibal
New Delhi, July 28 (PTI) Indian Telecom Minister Kapil
Sibal Thursday contested the claims of former Telecom
Secretary Siddhartha Behura over a December, 2007 meeting held
regarding entry fees for 2G licences, in which he had said the
then Finance Minister P Chidambaram and former Finance
Secretary D Subbarao were present.
"We have looked into records. The records show that
there was no such meeting. Neither Chidambaram (now Union Home
Minister) nor Subbarao (now Reserve Bank of India Governor)
remember any such meeting," Sibal told PTI.
He said, "It is surprising that the then telecom
secretary (Behura), who joined (Department of Telecom) on
January 1, 2008, is referring to a meeting of December 4,
2007, when he had no personal knowledge of the meeting and has
not produced any document to support veracity of his
submission."
Opposing the framing of charges of corruption and other
penal offences against him in the case, Behura told Special
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) judge O P Saini
Wednesday that Subbarao had decided against revising the entry
fee of Rs 1,659 crore for 2G licences and if he is not an
accused in this case, he (Behura) too should not have been put
on trial.
"Subbarao finalised the decision taken in the meeting of
December 4, 2007, that the policy stood approved and the entry
fees (of Rs 1,659 crore fixed in 2001 during NDA's (National
Democratic Alliance) regime) need not be revised," Behura's
counsel Aman Lekhi said in the court. Behura has been behind
bars for the past six months.
"Even the Finance Minister (then P Chidambaram) was also
present in the meeting (held on December 4, 2007). If
Subbarao, who was part of the Finance Ministry, did commit no
wrong, how come I did," Behura's counsel had said.
"This is the danger of taking arguments made on behalf of
an accused and treating them as evidence and gospel truth,"
Sibal said.
The Opposition had earlier demanded Indiann Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh and Chidambaram's resignation after
former Telecom Minister A Raja had dragged their name into the
2G scam, followed by Behura Wednesday, in the special court
hearing the 2G scam.
"So taking the submissions of an accused in court are
self evident, since he would like to protect himself by any
means whatever, even on the basis of non-existent facts,"
Sibal said. PTI ARV
SSB
Sibal Thursday contested the claims of former Telecom
Secretary Siddhartha Behura over a December, 2007 meeting held
regarding entry fees for 2G licences, in which he had said the
then Finance Minister P Chidambaram and former Finance
Secretary D Subbarao were present.
"We have looked into records. The records show that
there was no such meeting. Neither Chidambaram (now Union Home
Minister) nor Subbarao (now Reserve Bank of India Governor)
remember any such meeting," Sibal told PTI.
He said, "It is surprising that the then telecom
secretary (Behura), who joined (Department of Telecom) on
January 1, 2008, is referring to a meeting of December 4,
2007, when he had no personal knowledge of the meeting and has
not produced any document to support veracity of his
submission."
Opposing the framing of charges of corruption and other
penal offences against him in the case, Behura told Special
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) judge O P Saini
Wednesday that Subbarao had decided against revising the entry
fee of Rs 1,659 crore for 2G licences and if he is not an
accused in this case, he (Behura) too should not have been put
on trial.
"Subbarao finalised the decision taken in the meeting of
December 4, 2007, that the policy stood approved and the entry
fees (of Rs 1,659 crore fixed in 2001 during NDA's (National
Democratic Alliance) regime) need not be revised," Behura's
counsel Aman Lekhi said in the court. Behura has been behind
bars for the past six months.
"Even the Finance Minister (then P Chidambaram) was also
present in the meeting (held on December 4, 2007). If
Subbarao, who was part of the Finance Ministry, did commit no
wrong, how come I did," Behura's counsel had said.
"This is the danger of taking arguments made on behalf of
an accused and treating them as evidence and gospel truth,"
Sibal said.
The Opposition had earlier demanded Indiann Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh and Chidambaram's resignation after
former Telecom Minister A Raja had dragged their name into the
2G scam, followed by Behura Wednesday, in the special court
hearing the 2G scam.
"So taking the submissions of an accused in court are
self evident, since he would like to protect himself by any
means whatever, even on the basis of non-existent facts,"
Sibal said. PTI ARV
SSB
