CBI probing irregular payments made by the OC to Indian Olympic Association

As part of its Commonwealth Games (CWG) scam probe, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has put under scanner a few allegedly irregular payments worth over R12 crore which the Organising Committee (OC) made to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). Abhishek Sharan reports.

As part of its Commonwealth Games (CWG) scam probe, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has put under scanner a few allegedly irregular payments worth over Rs 12 crore which the Organising Committee (OC) made to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

HT Image

The payments were allegedly made despite a few senior officials, belonging to the OC itself and the central finance ministry, having objected to them, a CBI source said.

Under the scanner is a payment of Rs 8.75 crore, allegedly “approved by OC’s executive board in September 2009, to the IOA under the Joint Marketing Programme Agreement (JMPA), of which they were signatories,” said the source.

The board had then pointed out that ’s CWG contingent was “the property of IOA and OC will get sponsorship on their account also,” and, therefore, the payment was to “compensate IOA’s loss”, said the source.

The board had dismissed the objection of finance ministry’s then additional secretary who had pointed out that the Centre was already providing funds to various national sports federations — affiliated to the IOA —for training and other facilities and the payment would “result in overlapping”, the source further said.

Utilising the board’s argument for payment under the JMPA, the OC made another payment to reimburse it for disbursing daily pocket allowance — Rs 1,500 each daily to members between September 23, 2010 and October 15, 2010 — to members of the Indian contingent.

“No further reimbursement of IOA’s expenses by the OC was warranted under the JMPA,” said the source.

“Around eight top OC officials were also simultaneously holding top positions in the IOA, which could have led to conflict of interests. We are examining if criminal misconduct was involved in these instances of payment,” said the source.

According to another CBI source, the agency is also examining a few other OC payments made to the IOA: of R4.08 crore for renovation of the latter’s building, Rs 3.33 crore for rent and maintenance charges of the same and Rs 1.95 crore for fixed assets purchased and left behind in the building.