New Delhi: The CBI is likely to examine former finance minister P. Chidambaram in connection with its probe of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board's (FIPB's) approval granted to the Aircel-Maxis deal involving former communications minister Dayanidhi Maran by the UPA.
The Supreme Court on Friday asked the CBI if it proposed to examine the former finance minister on the clearance given to the Aircel-Maxis deal, over which charges had been filed some time ago.
The apex court bench of Chief Justice H.L. Dattu and Justice S.A. Bobde asked senior counsel K.K. Venugopal, appearing for the CBI, to apprise the court on this count at the next hearing, fixed for October 16.
Sources in the agency maintained that the CBI may seek clarification from Mr Chidambaram in this regard. “The former FM may be examined next week,” sources said. The CBI is already probing the role of the former finance minister in allowing foreign investment by a Mauritius-based company, a subsidiary of Maxis, in an Indian firm as part of its investigation into the Aircel-Maxis deal.
The agency has already informed the trial court in its chargesheet that Mauritius- based Global Communication Services Holdings Ltd, a subsidiary of Maxis, had sought approval for $800 million, an amount the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) was competent to clear.
“The approval was granted by the then finance minister. Further investigation is being carried out into the circumstances of the said FIPB approval granted by the then finance minister.
Related issues are also being investigated,” said the chargesheet filed in the Aircel-Maxis case. The CBI has claimed that the finance minister was competent to accord approval on project proposals of up to Rs 600 crore and proposals beyond this required the approval of CCEA.
“In the instant case, the approval of FDI of 800 million USD was sought. Hence, CCEA was competent to grant approval. However, it was not obtained,” it added. Sources who were aware of the
developments in the matter at that time said the FIPB sought only the approval of the minister, and not the CCEA, as it was not required under the rules.
The CBI had chargesheeted Mr Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanithi Maran, T. Ananda Krishnan, Malaysian national Augustus Ralph Marshall and four firms - Sun Direct TV Pvt. Ltd, Maxis Communication Berhad, South Asia Entertainment Holding Ltd and Astro All Asia Network PLC - as accused in the case.
