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CBI files case in Rs 6,744-crore deal involving arms dealer Bhandari
The controversial deal was signed on February 10, 2009 for Rs 6,744.32 crore by ONGC with a consortium of M/s Linde AG, Germany and SECL, South Korea, for a Dual Feed Cracker Unit (DFCU) by ONGC Petrol Additions Limited or OPaL, for its mega petrochemical project at Dahej, Gujarat.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a case in a deal worth Rs 6,744 crore by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) in which the alleged bribe paid to the fugitive arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari is suspected to have been used to buy a London property linked to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra.
To be sure, Vadra is not named as accused in the latest CBI FIR but Enforcement Directorate (ED) has repeatedly claimed in the court that this property at – 12 Ellerton House, Brynston Square (London), bought for 1.9 million pounds, belongs to Vadra.
The CBI claimed that the deal for this property was stipulated to be completed on or before end of August 2009, just after Rs 22 crore (USD 5 million approx.) were transferred on June 13, 2009 in the Dubai account of Bhandari’s company Santech International FZC by Samsung Engineering Co Ltd (SECL).
Vadra has repeatedly denied the allegations against him. “They can keep saying whatever. It has no meaning,” he told HT.
The controversial deal was signed on February 10, 2009 for Rs 6,744.32 crore by ONGC with a consortium of M/s Linde AG, Germany and SECL, South Korea, for a Dual Feed Cracker Unit (DFCU) by ONGC Petrol Additions Limited or OPaL, for its mega petrochemical project at Dahej, Gujarat.
In its FIR, registered on Tuesday, CBI named a former senior manager of SECL – Hong Namkoong, UK based company FosterWheeler Energy Ltd and unknown officials of ONGC and OPaL along with Sanjay Bhandari.
The ED, in first week of June, filed a charge sheet against Bhandari for laundering money. The CBI is investigating him another Rs 2,895 crore-deal for 75 Pilatus basic trainer aircraft for the Indian Air Force in 2009. Bhandari fled to the UK in December 2016 via Nepal and is said to be hiding in London. An Interpol red notice request is pending against him.
CBI has alleged in its FIR, reviewed by HT, that Bhandari, was hired by Samsung Engineering for consultancy services for USD 10 million was to be paid to him. Email conversation between Bhandari and Namkoong allegedly revealed that the latter agreed to pay 50% advance within 30 days of ONGC making an advance payment to Samsung while the rest of 50% consultancy was to be paid within next six months.
This was in violation of contract that stated that Linde and SECL will not involve any agent/consultant in India or abroad. However, SECL didn’t disclose that they had hired Bhandari’s company. Subsequently, there was no provision of making advance payment by OPaL/ONGC to the private company but the OPaL board decided to approve the provision of advance linking it to payment for progress of work.
OPaL made an advance payment to SECL on February 24, 2009 after which SECL transferred USD 49,99,969 in the account of Bhandari’s firm Santech in June 13, 2009.
“Enquiry further revealed that Bhandari is the beneficial owner of one Vertex Management Holdings Ltd from December 2009 to November 2012. Bhandari has acquired a property no – 12 Ellerton House Brynston Square (London) by purchasing 100% shares of Vertex Management Holdings Ltd, UK in his own name for 1.9 million GBP. The deal was stipulated to be completed on or before end of August 2009 i.e. just after the transfer of USD 5 million (Rs 22 crore) on June 13, 2009 (by SECL in Santech). It is further revealed that the said property was sold by Bhandari to an entity – Skylite Investments FZE, incorporated in UAE in 2011-12,” the CBI FIR said.
ED has claimed in court documents that Skylite, floated by an associate C C Thampi, was nothing but a front for buying property for Vadra. Thampi was arrested in January this year.
ONGC, SECL didn’t respond to email queries. FosterWheller company spokesperson could not be located by HT.
