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Assam probe team to visit US

By R Dutta Choudhury

GUWAHATI, April 29 - The Assam Government is likely to send a team of investigators to the United States of America (USA) in connection with the much talked about Louis Berger bribery scam. However, the date for sending the team is yet to be finalised as necessary formalities have to be completed before that.

The investigation of the Louis Berger bribery scam slowed down as the relevant information from the USA is yet to be obtained and a New Jersey court has already taken action against officers of the American company for its alleged involved in payment of bribes in several countries in Asia.

In Assam, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Assam Police is probing the allegation of the American company paying bribe to obtain the job of consultants in the water supply scheme being implemented by the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA).

Official sources told The Assam Tribune that the CID has already questioned several officers, including senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, in connection with the bribery case. But obtaining the details of the investigations in the USA is vital for a thorough probe of the case.

The CID sent letters rogatory through a competent court seeking details of the investigation of the case from the New Jersey court and the American investigators. But so far, the CID has not received the relevant documents and other materials concerning the investigation of the case.

Sources said that instead of sending the documents and other materials, the US authorities wanted that a team of investigators from Assam should be sent to that country for the investigation of the case in collaboration with the American investigators. Following the request, the State Government has decided to send a team to the US for the investigation of the case.

However, the American investigators also requested that before the team is sent to the US, there should be a video conference with the team members so that �both sides know the details of the process of investigation so far and what are the exact requirements of the investigators of the CID.� The CID has requested the NIC to facilitate the video conference and the technical details are now being worked out, sources added.

Meanwhile, the government has started the process of finalising the names of the probe team members to be sent to the US. Sources admitted that investigation of the case, which has international ramifications, take time as obtaining materials from other countries sometimes becomes a time consuming process. Moreover, the laws are different in different countries, which often slows down the process.

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