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New
Delhi: A court here will rule Saturday whether or not
Home Minister P. Chidambaram, who was the finance minister when
former communications minister allocated 122 telecom licenses that
have now been cancelled by the Supreme Court, should be made a
co-accused in the 2G spectrum scam.
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge O.P. Saini had
reserved his order for Saturday after the last hearing Jan 21
after Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy, who has made the plea
for making Chidambaram a co-accused, concluded his final
arguments.
The Supreme Court, while cancelling the 122 licenses Thursday,
left it to the trial court to decide on Swamy's plea.
Swamy, while deposing against Chidambaram before Saini, had said
that former communications minister A. Raja committed
irregularities in connivance with Chidambaram in alloting the
licenses.
He said the decision on pegging spectrum prices based on 2001
rates was jointly taken by Raja and Chidambaram.
Swamy has submitted documents, including evidence extracted from a
Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report, before the court
showing Chidambaram's alleged complicity in the case.
Swamy has also placed on record the file relating to UASL (Unified
Access Service Licence) policy regarding sale of equity that he
has received from the CBI after the court's direction last
November.
The file was seized by the CBI in October 2009, but the agency did
not place it on record with the chargesheet in the 2G case.
Swamy was allowed by the trial court Dec 8, 2011 to lead the
evidence on his plea seeking Chidambaram's prosecution.
Swmay has sought to prosecute Chidambaram for various offences
including criminal misconduct, under the Prevention of Corruption
Act and other criminal laws. He says Chidambaran is also guilty of
breaching national security by not disclosing the fact that
Etisalat and Telenor, who had recieved the licenses, were
blacklisted companies.
Swamy has also alleged that despite being ineligible, Unitech
Wireless and Swan Telecom were awarded licences and were allowed
to offload their shares to Etisalat and Telenor.
Raja is among the 14 people, including corporate honchos, who have
been arrested in the scam. Kanimozhi, a DMK Rajya Sabha member and
daughter of former Tamil Nadu chief minister M. Karunanidhi, was
also arrested in the case.
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