The CBI is set to register a “preliminary enquiry” (PE) to probe alleged misappropriation of marketing and advertising funds worth several crore of rupees of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). The PE against five top officials of the BSNL is likely to be registered by February end.
According to sources, the agency, which recently initiated its probe, has prima-facie found substantive indications that there was allegedly a “criminal conspiracy” between the private firms and certain officials of the BSNL in awarding advertisement contracts worth `20 crores for 2008-09.
“Probe by the agency has revealed that in September 2008, the board of directors of the BSNL appointed a non-official part-time director in the PSU. Later, the non-official part-time director was appointed as chairman of the committee, constituted for empanellement of new marketing agencies for the BSNL,” sources said. Scrutiny of the documents, recently collected from the BSNL, has revealed that the committee allegedly issued a release order to a private firm for advertisements for one month (Octobe-r/November 2008) at a gross value of `8.64 crores, sources said, adding the firm which reportedly bagged the contract was not empanelled with the BSNL.
Sources further said, “Immediately after registering PE, the agency officials will record the statements of certain members of the committee and also some representatives of the private firm. The agency, which has so far collected 23 crucial documents from the BSNL in this regard, will also collect some fresh documents in connection with the case,” sources said.
Further, the probe has revealed that the committee of the BSNL invited quotations from two more firms for advertisement contracts for January 2009. Scrutiny of the documents has revealed that both firms, from whom quotations were invited, for January 2009, were not empanelled agencies, sources said. “The BSNL has so far not provided minutes of the committee’s meeting, in which advertising contracts were awarded, to the CBI. It is suspected that the minutes of the meeting might not have been recorded by the committee,” sources said.