Defence Minister A.K. Antony on Wednesday called for a tightening of the defence machinery, saying that those guilty of corruption in deals have to be punished, because one can”t afford to waste a single rupee of the Indian taxpayers money for greedy players.
“We have gone to the maximum extent of cancelling and blacklisting six major defence industries. I got an e-mail from abroad, from US, about some foul dealings, corruption in various defence deals by one Abhishek Verma. I got an e-mail last year. Immediately, we sent that e-mail to CBI and Enforcement Director. After that the CBI inquired and now that man is jailed. Even after all these things, there are people who are not learning lessons,” said Antony in his address at the DRDO Bhavan here.
“So, we have to further tighten our machinery. Whenever allegations are there, we have to go to the root, find out the truth; whatever may be the consequences we have to punish those people who are guilty in these kind of deals because we can”t afford to waste a single rupee of Indian taxpayers money for greedy players. For that, I need your support also,” he added.
Businessman Abhishek Verma, who is presently in judicial custody, is under Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) scrutiny on multiple charges. The Enforcement Directorate is also probing the money trail on both the domestic and international transactions made purportedly by him.
According to reports, Verma was booked by the CBI in two other cases, one for allegedly forging a CBI officer”s letter and another under the Official Secrets Act for allegedly having procured Defence-related confidential documents.
The government is at the moment facing sharp criticism from the opposition over the VVIP copter scam. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led opposition is preparing to target the government in Parliament over the scam.
Asserting that the government would proceed as per law and will not show any mercy to guilty people whoever they may be, Antony earlier on Tuesday ruled out his resignation in connection with the VVIP chopper deal.
Antony, however, said that he was sad and upset that such an incident had taken place in spite of all precautions and warnings.
Antony further said the government had nothing to hide and will explain everything in Parliament.
AgustaWestland, the Italian firm, is presently at the centre of a controversy over allegations of paying kickbacks in the Rs 3600 crore VVIP chopper deal. (ANI)