New Delhi: Alleged middleman in Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) bribery case, Manoj Prasad on Tuesday refuted all claims made by Satish Sana in his complaint and asserted that he has ‘never-ever’ met CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana.
Earlier, Satish Sana, who is facing a CBI probe in a corruption case involving meat exporter Moin Qureshi, had alleged to have met Manoj Prasad in Dubai, who had informed him about having ‘very good connection’ in CBI and assured him of helping in the case through his brother Somesh Prasad.
However on Tuesday, Prasad claimed all of it was a lie and ‘completely fabricated’.
Replying to questions from mediapersons, Prasad, while appearing in Delhi’s Patiala house court on Tuesday, said: “It is all a lie. Everything is fabricated. Whatever they have claimed, nothing such happened. I have never taken money and have never-ever met Asthana. I don’t know who Asthana is.”
On being asked as to who he thinks is behind this, or if it is a conspiracy, Prasad said: “Let the investigation find the source.”
On a question whether he is satisfied with the probe, Prasad said: “Not at all, I am suffering.”
He, however, confirmed to have known Sana for a decade, though claiming that he has nothing but only lies in his complaint. “It is all lie; I have never taken any penny from him. Satish Sana has lied. I have known him for 10 years, doing business with him, so there is a business relationship, nothing more than that. I don’t know how Rakesh Asthana looks like, I have never met him,” reiterated Prasad.
Sana’s complaint was received by CBI on October 15 and an official FIR against Asthana was registered on October 21. Prasad was arrested on October 17 by the CBI for allegedly seeking Rs 5 crore from a Hyderabad businessman Satish Sana for getting him relief from the CBI’s summons.
Complainant Sana, in his letter to the Director of CBI had alleged that Manoj Prasad’s brother, Somesh Prasad asked him to pay an amount of Rs 5 crore to get favour in the case from a CBI officer.
The complainant had further claimed that upon query about CBI officer to which Somesh was speaking, he showed him a WhatsApp profile picture of his contact which reportedly was of Special Director Asthana. Thereafter, the complainant alleged to have paid a sum of 2.95 crore to Somesh Prasad and one of his accomplice in two instalments.
Sana, had also alleged of later confronting Manoj Prasad about the previous payment and the promise of relief in the case, on which Prasad reportedly informed him that ‘he had to pay the balance amount of Rs 2 crore to avoid issuance of further notices from CBI and get full relief from CBI’.
Meanwhile, in a latest development in the case, earlier on Tuesday, Sana has been asked to join the CBI investigation on December 17 at 10 am, after he had missed a few summons. Sana had on Monday approached Delhi High Court seeking protection from arrest.
[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]