MoD vigilance chief to head probe panel

The MoD has not been able to keep pace with Fernandes’ statement on fighting corruption in defence deals. Though he made the announcement last Saturday, a written communication to the Central Vigilance Commission was “expected to be sent late evening today”.

Fernandes had while announcing an inquiry by the CVC into all major defence deals in the past 15 years ordered constitution of a special group of officers to scrutinise all important observations of CAG and fix responsibility for lapses, delays or corrupt practices andrecommend administrative, disciplinary or legal action.

While a written communication has been sent to the CAG, officials in MoD are quick to explain the delay in sending a letter to the CVC. “The minister passed orders on file on Saturday last itself. The Defence Secretary has to take action on ground and that takes some time. Orders to the CVC are most likely to move late today,” sources in MoD said.

The CAG would be looking into the emergency purchases made during the Kargil crisis and establish whether things had gone wrong or not. It has also been asked to look into allegations (some made by Rear Admiral Suhas V Purohit) into unnecessary and wrongful purchases of spares in the Navy over the past 15 years, an official said.

Sources in the CBI, however, said they had not been informed formally either by the MoD or the CVC so far. And though nothing is being said on record, the CBI is not too sure how it would go about investigating corruption in defence deals. Its record so far, by its ownadmission, has been dismal.

“We have investigated three defence deals so far and in none of them are we anywhere close to (securing) conviction. Whether it is the Bofors or the HDW deal or the latest allegations of corruption against Rear Admiral Suhas Purohit,” CBI sources said.

In fact, in the Purohit case in which the MoD asked the CBI to investigate allegations of corruption and favouritism in deals, the CBI reportedly wrote back saying it was not competent to decide whether any company was favoured in the deals. The CBI sources said when they are asked to investigate they are likely to ask the MoD for technical experts, “probably some serving and some retired officers and bureaucrats. A panel could be made and not everyone is corrupt. Somebody who can advise and cooperate with complex investigations and say whether it was right to favour one company as against another and even other aspects,” an official added.