NEW DELHI: The CBI is likely to impound the passport of P.V. Prabhakar Rao, a son of the former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, when he finally makes himself available for interrogation in the Rs 133 crore urea scam. When the CBI asks a person summoned for questioning to bring his or her passport along, it normally is for the purpose of impounding it.
A three member CBI team led by DIG R.M. Singh, returned here from Hyderabad last week after intensive investigations over that weekend, Prabhakar Rao is to be questioned by Singh. Significantly, it was Singh who investigated the Gold Star company’s involvement in the securities’ scam in 1992 and had a off with Prabhakar Rao in Hyderabad. Small wonder, then, Prabhakar Rao had wanted to avoid appearing before Singh and therefore, rushed to Delhi and made him available for interrogation while Singh was still in Hyderabad. But Prabhakar Rao was told that he would have to wait till Prakash Chandra Yadav had been interrogated. Prakash Chandra, son of former Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers, was questioned for two consecutive days that week, and may be questioned again soon.
In a related development, CBI teams are to visit Turkey, United States, Switzerland and Dubai to gather more information on the bank accounts held by the accused and others suspected to be involved in the deal, It would also find out the background and the present status of the private firms mentioned in the interrogation of those accused and the suspects, CBI sources said. The Enforcement Directorate, which made discreet inquiries on the transfer of monies abroad in this case, wrote to the CBI asking whether it would also like to be associated with the probe pertaining to FERA. According to the investigations so far, about $200,000, a part of the alleged kickbacks in the deal, had been deposited in the account of Rea Brothers in the Standard Chartered Bank in New York.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 26, 1996
