From India’s Central Bureau of Investigation:
The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested an Under Secretary in Department of Disinvestment & Section Officer in Department of Economic Affairs both of Union Ministry of Finance and a Consultant / Chartered Accountant (private person) based at Mumbai in a case relating to alleged leakage and supply of confidential information/documents of Government to other corporate Groups.
The arrested two officials were produced today before the Special Judge, CBI Cases, Patiala House Courts, New Delhi and remanded to five days police custody. The said consultant arrested from Mumbai was produced today in the court of Special Judge, Mumbai and was granted transit remand for three days.
CBI has registered a case against an Under Secretary in Department of Disinvestment & Section Officer in Department of Economic Affairs both of Union Ministry of Finance; Upper Division Clerk (UDC) in Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP), Union Ministry of Commerce; a Consultant / Chartered Accountant (private person) based at Mumbai and unknown public Servants & Private persons U/s 120-B r/w 381 of IPC and section 13(2) r/w 13(1)(d) of P.C. Act., 1988 on the allegations that a Mumbai based consultant had been procuring confidential information/Government documents of Ministry of Finance & Ministry of Commerce pertaining to the foreign investment proposals & other matters of various companies and passing them to Corporate Groups. The Consultant was allegedly procuring the official confidential documents through courier and e-mail from three Government officials, who were custodians of these documents and were initiating proposals. It was further alleged that money was being received by the accused officials in lieu of supply of the documents to the said consultant.
Searches have been carried out at 6 places in Delhi/NCR, and 4 places in Mumbai which led to recovery of cash of Rs. 60 lakhs (approx) from the office & residence of said Mumbai based consultant. Incriminating documents including alleged copies of proposals before the FIPB, minutes of meetings, internal noting of files stored in computers, laptops as well as mobile phones have been recovered during the course of search operations. CBI has also intercepted the copies of confidential official documents allegedly sent through courier from Delhi by the accused Government officials to the consultant at Mumbai, while under transit. Certain documents relating to properties acquired by the public servants are being scrutinized. The investigation has so far revealed an alleged nexus between the accused officials and said consultant who was also in regular touch with certain unknown persons of other Departments / Agencies.
Today, the Indian Express reports:
CBI officers probing leaks and sale of confidential government documents from the ministries of finance and commerce and industry to corporate houses claim to have unearthed the involvement of a PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) employee in sourcing information from the department of economic affairs
Read more on Indian Express. When contacted, PWC told Indian Express:
“Our manager met CBI officials today in connection with the FIPB applications filed by our clients and the official communication that we have exchanged with FIPB in this regard, in the normal course of business. Necessary clarification as asked for were provided.”