Ramanisblog

Tag: India today

  • 2G scam-How was the kickback paid?

    In a Blog filed under Corruption/India I have filed a story stating that Sadiq Pasha was used as conduit for Karunanidhi in funneling kickbacks.

    These kickbacks route  and modus operandi was finalised in Dubai.

    Another factor is Balwa, whose company was a front for an Industrial house.

    Swann telecom sank without a trace and DB Realty seems to funneled funds through Realty dynamics, through Kuso to Cineyug and then to Kalaignar.

    Anil Ambani was interrogated by CBI.

    Radiaa, on behalf of Tata, threatens Raja not to allow Ambani higher bands.( see my blog on this-Courts/ Govt. can not decide policy )

    Kalaignar TV states that the loan was advanced to them and that they have returned it.

    The question is ,why should a Company from Mumbai advance to a TV Company In Chennai?

    The company that advanced the amount,  is not into Financing.

    Secondly, with out security why was such an amount paid?

    If Kalaignar TV wanted funds(which I doubt for Karunanidhi floated the TV in a jiffy without any financial problem), they could have raised it from Financial Institutions.

    If banks were not prepared to advance, on what basis such a huge amount was loaned to Kalaignar TV?

    Had the scam not brioken out , in a couple of years Kalaignar TV would have settled the account with Cineyug by paying a nominal amount and stating that they have no funds and filed tax returns and legalized the transaction.

    And look at the fund flow.

    DB>Realty Dynamics>Cineyug> Kalaignar TV.

    Each Company seems to have been advanced the X amount to to be transferred to the beneficiary(Kalaignar TV), plus their service charges(?).

    Now additional trail from India Today.

    How was the kickback in the 2G spectrum scam actually paid? Documents with HEADLINES TODAY show that the payback was in the form of equity in the companies which bagged the lucrative 2G spectrum licences at a throwaway price. 

    India’s audit watchdog, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had indicted Swan Telecom, among others, for having sold significant stakes in their companies at high premium within a short period of time after acquiring the licence.

    HEADLINES TODAY is in exclusive possession of documents that show that Swan Telecom had brought in an equity partner in the form of a company, which had a close associate of DMK supremo M. Karunanidhi and tainted former telecom minister A. Raja on board.

    The documents show that Swan Telecom had written to DoT in November 2008, bringing on board a company called Genex Exim Ventures. Swan said that it had entered into a share subscription agreement (SSA) with Genex Exim on September 23, 2008.

    Interestingly, the man on the board of Genex Exim, Ahmed Salahuddin is the younger son of Ahmed Syed Salahuddin, a close associate of Karunanidhi.

    The elder Salahuddin has been close to the DMK for around 40 years.

    According to the SSA, UAE telecom company Etisalat agreed to subscribe up to 45 per cent in the increased equity of Swan Telecom and invest around Rs 3,217 crore into the company.

    Significantly, a company called Genex Exim Ventures Pvt Limited was also shown as having agreed to invest around Rs 380 crore into the company.

    Genex Exim came into existence just six days before entering into the SSA with Swan. Interestingly, Genex Exim later sold its 5.27 per cent holding to Etisalat Mauritius for Rs 380 crore to make a handsome profit for all on a share capital of just Rs 1 lakh.

    According to documents with HEADLINES TODAY Genex Impex was flush with cash to the extent of Rs 380 crore soon after its birth. The source of the cash is not known. This cash was later deployed in buying equity in Swan Telecom – equity which was subsequently sold to Etisalat for a profit of Rs 380 crore!

    When the first application was filed to form Genex Exim, the Salahuddins did not seem to have anything to do with the company. It was only on December 17, 2008, that Ahmed Salahuddin came on board as managing director (MD).

    Interestingly, there was nothing in Genex Exim’s memorandum of association to show that it was going to enter the telecom sector. It was a company which claimed would be engaged in the business of imports and exports of all kinds of merchandise including iron ore.

    http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/120335/business/karunanidhi-associate-had-stake-in-swan-telecom.html

    Related:

    Apart from the fact that the money has been laundered, there are security implications as well.

    Etisalat, a UAE Company has been, indirectly initially, directly later,allotted sensitive telecommunication sector, by way of licence.

    Again as Subramanian Swamy has stated ther is a link between Etisalat,Pakistan’s ISI and Dawood Ibrahim.

    Swann telecom sold the licence to Etisalat shortly after being allotted the licence at whooping price.

    Swann Telecom is reported to be a front company of a leading Business house in India.

    Now Karunanidhi is implicated in all these transactions through intermediaries.

    http://ramanisblog.in/2011/02/04/dmk-chief-family-laundered-money-compromised-national-security/

  • Advani Apology, Rajiv 2.5 Billion-Why?

    It is alright for Advani for to level charges and apologize at his pleasure.
    In that case,
    • Did Advani have facts to level charges Against Sonia Gandhi ?
    • Or did he make an irresponsible allegation?
    • What new evidence has come to light to tender apology?
    • Is it because Sonia declared she has no accounts?
    • Will he share the details with the People of India?
    • Advani is a responsible politician, who was considered to be the PM in waiting.
    • Will he stand up and explain?
    • What is the stand of BJP‘s Task force?
    I have blogged on the subject of Rajiv Gandhi‘s 2.5 Billion Francs ,which was based on  the November 1991 issue of Schweizer Illustrierte, the most popular magazine of Switzerland, carried an expose of 14 politicians from developing nations who had stashed their bribes in Swiss banks , Subramanian Swamy‘s s statement , India Today‘s Story  http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/123602/UP%20Front/dacoits+have+looted+india.ht
    The story was linked to Schweizer Illustrierte  dated November 1991 and
    Also Ram Jethmalani’s piece in India Today.
    On February 2, 2011,Schweizer Illustrierte sent me a comment as follows.
    I again checked the link.
    The information in German seems to confirm the information on Rajiv Gandhi.
    May be I got my translation wrong.
    If some one can confirm that the information on Rajiv Gandhi is wrong as per the magazine’s published Record,I hereby tender a Public Apology to Sonia Gandhi,Rajiv Gandhi and Family.
    I have a few questions.
    Why did the magazine take 10 years to deny?
    Why did not Sonia Gandhi keep quiet this long?
    What is the stand of India Today, Subramanian Swamy , S.Gurumurthy and the Indian Express?
    Also note that the magazine , in its communication, has not denied it out right.
    It says ‘as we think you might have cited it wrong’
    Typical statement which while not confirming also does not categorically deny it.
    If Schweizer Illustrierte’s article is wrong ,has Sonia Gandhi received an apology from them?
    Questions, questions every where , not an answer to blink.
    Magazines communication to me.
    ‘Submitted on 2011/02/02 at 7:40 pm

    Dear Blogger, you’ll find the mentioned Schweizer Illustrierte article (Page 41) on this URL:

    http://www.schweizer-illustrierte.ch/zeitschrift/500-millionen-der-schweiz-imeldas-faule-tricks

    Please examine the content carefully, as we think you might have cited it wrong.

    Regards
    Schweizer Illustrierte’

    Story.

    Senior BJP leader L.K. Advani has apologised to Congress President Sonia Gandhi for a party—appointed task force report, which had alleged that she and her late husband Rajiv had accounts in Swiss banks.

    BJP had appointed the task force on unravelling the amount of black money stashed by Indians in foreign banks and ways to bring it back.

    The report had alleged that Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi were among Indians who held Swiss bank accounts.

    This had led Ms. Gandhi to write a letter to Mr. Advani denying the allegation.

    Sources said in the letter, Ms. Gandhi had said that neither she nor her husband held Swiss bank accounts.

    In his reply to the Congress President’s letter, Mr. Advani expressed regret of her name and that of her late husband being mentioned in the task force report.

    However, Mr. Advani also stated in his reply that the Gandhis should have denied this publicly when there were murmurs that names of her family members could figure in the report.

    http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article1467851.ece


  • Niira Radia and I went to Zurich to open accounts-BJP links?

     

    Rao Dheeraj Singh knows a lot about Niira Radia. He was her business partner. He later spent almost two years in prison, accused by Radia of kidnapping her son Karan. Speaking exclusively to INDIA TODAY in his first media interaction after the leaking of the Niira Radia tapes, he makes revelations about her business dealings between 1995 and 2002, a period in which Singh was closely associated with Radia’s Crown Mart International (India) Pvt Ltd.

    Singh first met Radia in 1994 when he was working as a traffic supervisor with Sahara Airlines. She was a consultant with Sahara. She hired him for her own company, Crown Mart. They moved to Bombay in 1995, where Radia briefly dabbled in films and a hotel business.

    Singh recounts his version of what he believes was her first major deal after moving back to Delhi, “In 1997-98 when we moved back to Delhi, Modiluft had gone bust. We were approached by KLM UK who had leased out two aircrafts to Modiluft but they had been impounded because of pending dues to oil companies. KLM UK mandated Crown Mart to handle the court case for them. You know how things work in India. We worked through lawyers. A Delhi court passed the order to release the aircraft. I clearly remember that she received a call that by the next morning, there would be a stay on the order. At that time the UK pilots were all ready and she ensured that the aircraft took off the very same evening. The case carried on but nobody bothered. Our company was paid Rs 2.5 crore to get the aircraft released.”

    In what is public knowledge, Radia’s influence began to grow when the BJP-led NDA came to power in 1998 and Ananth Kumar was appointed Union civil aviation minister. Claims Singh, “It was actually in the BJP regime that everything started going right for us. After the KLM UK deal, a lot of companies started approaching her. We sold some helicopters to Sahara. The Airbus Consortium started supporting her. Karnataka and Maharashtra governments were sold Eurocopters. There was a BJP Government in Maharashtra. Radia had a good relationship with Ananth Kumar. He managed the whole thing for us.” Singh claims to recall meeting a senior leader (name withheld) during the Eurocopter deal. “I remember when this Eurocopter deal with the Maharashtra Government was being negotiated, Niira and I went to Nagpur together to meet the leader, who facilitated it,” alleges Singh.

    Singh makes damaging allegations about Radia even going to the extent of saying, “Niira used to get a lot of information and then send it to her clients in France and all over the place. At one point, she wanted to get into defence deals as well.”

    More deals meant more commissions. “Niira, Karuna (her sister) and I travelled to Zurich to open bank accounts. I can give you my passport as evidence. I can come to Delhi and give you the name of the Zurich bank where the accounts were opened,” claims Singh (Radia is a PIO). He adds, “The money earned from the deals struck between 1998 and 2001 was getting accrued in Zurich and Channel islands. I don’t know the amount but it was substantial.”

    We contacted Radia several times to answer these allegations. Instead, she questioned our ‘better judgement’ on carrying statements made by someone she called a ‘convict’. Later, a communication was sent on her behalf denying Singh’s specific allegation on her Swiss Bank accounts.

    Singh talks about the one occasion he believes Radia went one-up on Jet Airways promoter Naresh Goyal by allegedly blocking an aircraft deal for Jet. Alleges Singh, “Jet wanted to buy the aircraft. And she managed to get their permission blocked in the civil aviation ministry. Naresh Goyal was never happy with her. So she approached the French aircraft manufacturer ATR and told them that your aircraft will not be given permission because the aviation ministry has blocked it. The French company told us that okay, we will give you money. Naresh Goyal will not talk to you and he will not give you any money. But we will give you the money and you get the aircraft cleared. Rs 1.85 crore was given to us.”

    Singh alleges that Radia’s close ties with the BJP Government extended beyond Kumar. “The BJP Government allotted a huge piece of land to Niira’s trust in Vasant Kunj in 2002. L.K. Advani came to lay the foundation stone of the trust.”

    On how Radia met Ratan Tata, Singh’s version of events is as follows, “Singapore Airlines wanted to increase their flights to Delhi and Bombay. Niira got the bilateral agreements done for Singapore Airlines. It was around this time that the company put in a word for Niira to Mr Tata.”

    Dheeraj says that he began to drift away from Radia at about the time she landed the Tata Group’s PR accounts. It wasn’t smooth. Claims Singh, “There was a sizeable amount of money stuck in Zurich. And a portion of that was to come to me. She owed me Rs 1.2 crore and there was a big argument. She told me there were a lot of problems and she couldn’t get the money back into the country. And a portion of it had to go to a BJP politician as well. Hawala and money laundering were her domain.” These are allegations which need further investigation.

    http://www.indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/124410/India/niira-deeraj-went-to-zurich-to-open-bank-accounts.html

     

     

  • Prabhu Chawla’s clarification on Radia Tapes.

     

    Prabhu Chawla

     

     

    Much has been made about a conversation that Nira Radia had with me. This is just to put the record straight. The 13 minute conversation had nothing to do with the controversial 2G of A Raja. Nira called me as she said “to seek my expertise” on the Battle for Gas” between the two Ambani brothers. I merely told her that the earlier the brothers put an end to their private battle, the better it will be for the public good. I did not take sides. I did say that I knew both brothers but was equally critical of the tactics being adopted by each to run down the other. Nira also asked me about my son, who is a lawyer and is retained by the Anil Ambani group as their counsel. I however made it clear that my son Ankur was not appearing in the particular Gas case. Following is the transcript of the 13 minute conversation. It is proof, if indeed proof were needed, that I have nothing to hide or be ashamed of.

    NR. Hi Prabhu
    PC Ya tell me now
    NR Nai nothing, I was just wanting to understand things from you. You always have a very good perspective.
    PC On What?
    NR On everything Bhai he he he he. Generally you have a good perspective of everything. I just wanted to know what is yr view on this great historic judgment.
    PC. Which one, the Bombay one?
    NR The Bombay one which takes the family pecked above the national interest.
    PC You see when the brothers are involved, the nation also gets involved na?
    NR Ya, probably not a good thing na. not good for the nation.
    PC Not good for the nation, but the brothers don’t talk to each other. There is nobody who can force them to talk also
    NR Who tho ho gayi na Prabhu tum bhi janthe ho
    PC Maine koshiosh kiyi thi., Nahi hua. Maine kaha ho jayega.
    NR Nahi. I was speaking to him recently, in fact this morning
    PC (interrupts) is he back from wherever he had gone, Mukesh?
    NR. He is very much here, he has been here the whole week.
    PC He was abroad last week I think.
    NR No no no.
    PC Anyway somebody told me that he is abroad.
    NR NONONO. He has been here the whole week. He is not due to travel till next week.
    PC because sometimes he responds. Abhi I have stopped calling him
    Because usko maine 15-20 din pehle message bheja tha. Then he never responses. Uske baad maine message nahi bheja. Before the judgement was coming I wanted to forewarm him.
    NR Kya judgement uske khilaf aara ha?
    PC Ha, lekin itna arrogant hai na. uske saath kya kare? Usjke arrogance, dono bhaiyyon ka samajh bhi nahi aathi mero ko
    NR Prabhu tell me one thing. Judgement is fixed, right?
    PC Dekho in this country, donon side ko fix karne ka capacity hain. Chotta bhai mobile jyada hai. Paise kam karch karta hai, kanjoos hai sabse jyada. But he is more mobile than the elder brother. Eler brother doesn’t want to go beyond what Dhiruibhai left behind with him. Men or people, whatever. You are getting what I am telling? He is totally depending on the people that Dhirubhai created. They were relevant at that point of time. Now they are not relevant. Anilbhai has developed new sources, new contacts , new way of thinking. Mukesh, Apna wife ki thoda jyada dictate karti hai. Anil ki wife nahi karti hai. The way things are moving, mukesh poor fellow is not able to get the right feedback because of insulation from various other sources. Now I know what he is doing on the Supreme Court front. Various things. Which is not the way to go about it. What he doing it is known to the rest of the world. This is not good. If he has to….because everything is fixed these days. Ab Supreme Court nein reverse ho gaya, then he is finished for ever ya. If he doesn’t get a favourable response from Supreme Court, then he is finished, na?
    NR But Prabhu ek baat bataon?
    PC Ha?
    NR Abhi tak Suprepe Court ka, between you and me, kuch finalise hun nahin?
    PC Finalise ka matlab kya hai? Bhai Murli Deora bhi jayega court mein. Prime Minister is also putting pressure on Murli Deoa to settle it. Because ultimate it is national loss na, as you put it. Itna mehanga ho raha, ab 2-3 mahine mein 90 dollars ho jayega, if yo are not able to take out gas from your own sources, then there is a problem na. Country should not suffer because of these two brothers.
    NR That’s right. Which what Mukesh has told his brother very clearly. What is the issue? Anil …usne apne gas ke liye kabhin mana nahin kiya. Usne kaha tera 28 mm sidhi ban tha hai. Agar NTPC bara nahin leta tho thera who bhi ban tha hai. Yeh 2.34 who govern,ent ki price hai, mein us mein decide nahin karta hai as an operator. Uska point limited woh hai. Aapne MoU dekha? I don’t know whwther you have sen it, but it will show it to you. Un mein aisa kich likha nahin hain.
    PC. MoU mein mein pataha nahin, maine dekha nahin, so I cant say, frankly speaking , and MoU mein, agar court ne order kiya, kuch basis pe kiya hoga na. Pata hua na/
    NR. Nahin. Court ka order mein, 328 pages mein I can give you any , I can tell you, who open drive use kiya hoghi na, who jo telecom ka TD se judgement hua na, dualk techniol;ogyu ka Vahanwati ne jo karvaya, Raja ne Dr sarma kop TRai chairman banaya. I am guaranteeing same pen drive use kiyi hogi.
    PC hahaha (laughs)

    http://prabhuchawla.blogspot.com/2010/11/nira-radia-tape.html