The CBI, probing the alleged 2G spectrum scam, on Wednesday quizzed Mr Anil Ambani, chairman of the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG), in connection with the alleged role of his company in promoting Swan Telecom.
Agency officials also questioned Loop Telecom CEO Sandeep Basu for the second consecutive day on Wednesday and confronted him with certain documents. Former telecom official A.K. Srivastava was also questioned by the CBI on Wednesday.
According to sources, agency officials asked him to clarify the role played by former telecom minister A. Raja in awarding licences for CDMA-based mobile services under the Unified Access Service (UAS) to four companies, including Reliance Communications Ltd.
Sources said, “Mr Ambani was also quizzed over the findings of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). The CAG had earlier said in a report that Swan Telecom, which got 2G licences, appeared to be acting as a front company for Reliance Telecom.” The agency is checking of there are any links between Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Balwa and Reliance Telecom, sources added. Balwa, before his arrest, had reportedly written to the CBI saying his company had business links with Reliance Telecom, sources added.
“As per existing rules, no telecom operator is allowed to hold more than 10 per cent stake in another service provider in the same circle, directly or indirectly. However, in all the 13 circles where Swan bagged licences, Reliance was already present. The CAG has calculated that, inclusive of preferential shares equivalent to a 0.9 per cent stake, RCom had a 10.71 per cent participating interest in Swan,” sources claimed. Mr Ambani refused to speak to the media before entering CBI headquarters. Though he was called by the CBI around 5 pm, he reached the agency offices much earlier. He was questioned by CBI officials for nearly three hours at the agency headquarters.
The CAG had said that acceptance of a bank draft from Reliance Infocomm Ltd on behalf of Reliance Communications Ltd was not in order and showed the hurry in which the entry fee was deposited. However, RCom has maintained that while it held a 9.9 per cent equity stake in Swan through Reliance Telecom till December 5, 2007, it had off-loaded the shares prior to the award of a telecom licence to Swan on January 10, 2008.
It is learnt that CBI officials also asked Mr Ambani to clarify certain matters in front of Mr Raja and Balwa, who are in CBI custody. Sources said the top brass of some other telecom companies, whose names cropped up during investigations, would also be called for clarification.
Following Mr Ambani’s visit to the CBI headquarters, ADAG issued a statement on Wednesday saying Mr Ambani met CBI officials to clarify ongoing issues relating to telecom matters for the years 2001 to 2010. “During the course of his weekly visit to New Delhi, Anil Ambani met CBI officials today to clarify ongoing issues, relating to telecom matters for the years 2001 to 2010, and virtually every telecom operator in the country. No summons of any kind had been issued by CBI to Mr Ambani,” the statement said.
It added: “Neither Reliance Telecom, nor RCOM, nor any Reliance ADA Group individual, company or affiliate held even a single share in Swan Telecom Ltd at the time of grant of the 2G license to them in January 2008, or at any time thereafter.” It also maintained that neither Reliance Telecom, nor RCOM, nor any Reliance ADA Group individual, company or affiliate has obtained any monetary gain or other benefit, directly or indirectly, from the grant of 2G licence to Swan Telecom in January 2008. Contrary to reports in a section of the media, the enquiries by CBI and other authorities are by no means specific to RCOM, and instead, have already reportedly covered more than 50 people from across a large number of telecom operators.”