Covid equipment ‘scam’: Panel recommends prosecution of BSY, ex-minister; former CM says won’t bow

“As the price quoted by both the suppliers included the freight and transportation charges, the additional expenditure towards freight and transportation (excluding GST and IGST) has resulted in undue benefit to the suppliers to an extent of Rs 14,21,72,421,” the report said.

“The additional transportation and freight charges for import of total 3 lakh PPE kits from Chinese firms in 2020 was facilitated by corrigendum issued on April 6, 2021 and the payment was wholly arbitrary, malafide, without authority of law and was intended to confer undue advantage to the supplier to the extent of `14,21,72,421,” it said.

The “conduct of the then Chief Minister and the then Health Minister in approving the contract and the subsequent corrigendum amounts to criminal misconduct within the meaning of Sec.7 and Sec.11 of the Prevention of Corruption Act”, it said.

“The Commission recommends initiation of disciplinary action against the then Additional Director/Signatory to the above corrigendum, and initiation of criminal prosecution against the then CM and the then Health Minister for the offence under Sec.7 and Sec.11 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988, as amended and Sec.405/406 of IPC and simultaneous action for recovery of the excess amount of `14,21,72,421 from the supplier M/s DHB Global Hong Kong (China) as per law,” the report said.

Reacting to the recommendation against him, Yediyurappa said he “won’t bow down to such threats”, and hit out at CM Siddaramaiah, asking him to abstain from “politics of conspiracy” and face the charges against him.

“… With no other way, Siddaramaiah is trying to dig out old things, what we had done honestly. This will in no way benefit them… let them do whatever they want, I have strength to face it,” he said.

State BJP chief and Yediyurappa’s son B Y Vijayendra, said, “The report seems to be a report of assumptions and presumptions… There needs to be a set of facts constituting an offence. Only thereafter can an inquiry or investigation be launched.”

Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy called the release of parts of the report “politically motivated” and “an attempt by the ruling government to misuse its agencies and officials to suppress opposition leaders”.

Congress spokesperson Ramesh Babu said that criminal cases should be filed based on the report and the “looted money should be recovered”. “The Covid scam of BJP leaders has been exposed. They bought PPE kits from firms in China at 10 times the cost to cheat and play with people’s lives.”

With PTI inputs