CBI questions Niira Radia in 2G scam case

NEW DELHI: Corporate lobbyist Niira Radia was today questioned by the CBI here in connection with the 2G spectrum scam.

Official sources said a CBI team reached Radia's farmhouse at Chhattarpur area at about 10am to question her on several issues including her alleged involvement in the spectrum allocation.

The CBI sleuths had earlier carried out searches at Radia's residence and the premises of her firm, Vaishnavi Communications, here.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also grilled her on allegations of money laundering.

Radia hit the spotlight after her taped telephonic conversations with various influential people including industrialists, politicians and journalists became public.

Supreme Court is closely monitoring the multi agency probe in the allocation of 2G spectrum to certain telecom firms.

The apex court has asked CBI and ED to submit status reports on their probe to it by February 10, when the 2G spectrum case will come up for hearing.

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in its report to the Parliament had said that the allocation of 2G spectrum at under valued prices had resulted in the loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the exchequer.

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Supreme Court questions govt over CVC chief Thomas - Reuters India

NEW DELHI | Mon Dec 6, 2010 3:40pm IST

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The Supreme Court on Monday questioned the appointment of the country's top anti-corruption official, local media and a lawyer said, in a victory for the opposition and another blow for an embattled government that has become mired in corruption charges.

The government must explain why P.J. Thomas, who faces criminal charges over a 1992 fraud case, should keep his job, the court said. Opposition politicians have demanded his resignation as part of protests that have stalled parliament for over three weeks.

Thomas was appointed Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) in September by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, but without the support of the leader of the opposition. Thomas was the former telecoms secretary while an alleged $39 billion telecoms scam took place. He has also been asked to respond to the court by January 27.

"The Supreme Court has issued notices to the central government as well as to Mr Thomas on the matter seeking the quashing of his appointment," Prashant Bhushan, the lawyer who filed the petition against Thomas, said outside the court.

Thomas, who is wanted in connection with a investigation into palmolein import fraud while an official in the southern Kerala state government, has so far rebuffed calls for his resignation despite the mounting embarrassment for the government.

Last month, the Supreme Court took the unprecedented step of calling on Singh to explain his failure to probe the 2G telecoms scam.

Parliament has been stalled for 17 consecutive days by opposition members demanding a joint enquiry into the telecoms scam, seriously damaging the ruling Congress party's attempts to push through reforms and debate economic liberalisation.

(Reporting by C.J. Kuncheria; Writing by Henry Foy, editing by Miral Fahmy)

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