ACB goes slow on cash-for-vote scam; fails to trace the source of bribe money

Hyderabad: The Telagana Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) is sitting on the supplementary chargesheet in the cash-for-the-vote scam, even though the agency has received all forensic evidence in the case.

Amid the changed equations between Chief Ministers N. Chandrababu Naidu and K. Chandrasekhar Rao, the ACB is yet to take a decision on whether to file the supplementary chargesheet naming only Telugu Desam Party legislator Sandra Venkata Veeraiah or to add the other names that have cropped up during investigations.

“We are awaiting instructions from top officials,” said a source in the Anti-Corruption Bureau.

The initial chargesheet in the cash-for-vote scam filed on July 28 had named four persons including TD legislator A. Revanth Reddy.

A top official of the Forensic Science Laboratory told DC: “Evidence pertaining to the cash-for-vote scam has been sent to ACB court. They were obtained by the agency from court.”

Interestingly the ACB has failed to trace the source of the money. “It is difficult to trace the source as it was paid in cash,” an official said. “The cash was seized in the presence of prime accused Revanth. So that is strong evidence.”

The ACB has recorded the statements of 39 witnesses. The preliminary chargesheet was filed against Mr Revanth Reddy, Bishop Harry Sebastian, Revanth Reddy’s aide Uday Simha and Jerusalem Mattaiah under PCA.

Though the ACB had mentioned the name of Chief Minister Naidu 22 times, to indicate that the other accused acted on his behest to bribe Anglo Indian nominated MLA Elvis Stephenson, the agency failed to gather more evidence against him other than the forensic report confirming the audio conversation between Mr Stephenson and Mr Naidu.