CBI files case in ₹6,744-crore deal involving arms dealer Bhandari

NEWDELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a case in a deal worth ₹6,744 crore by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) in which the alleged bribe paid to the fugitive arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari is suspected to have been used to buy a London property linked to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s son-inlaw Robert Vadra.

To be sure, Vadra is not named as accused in the latest CBI FIR but Enforcement Directorate (ED) has repeatedly claimed in the court that this property at – 12 Ellerton House, Brynston Square (London), bought for 1.9 million pounds, belongs to Vadra.

The CBI claimed that the deal for this property was stipulated to be completed on or before end of August 2009, just after ₹22 crore (USD 5 million approx.) were transferred on June 13, 2009 in the Dubai account of Bhandari’s company Santech International FZC by Samsung Engineering Co Ltd (SECL).

Vadra has repeatedly denied the allegations against him. “They can keep saying whatever. It has no meaning,” he told HT.

The controversial deal was signed on February 10, 2009 for ₹6,744.32 crore by ONGC with a consortium of M/s Linde AG, Germany and SECL, South Korea, for a Dual Feed Cracker Unit (DFCU) by ONGC Petrol Additions Limited or OPaL, for its mega petrochemical project at Dahej, Gujarat.

In its FIR, registered on Tuesday, CBI named a former senior manager of SECL – Hong Namkoong, UK based company FosterWheeler Energy Ltd and unknown officials of ONGC and OPaL along with Sanjay Bhandari.

CBI has alleged in its FIR, reviewed by HT, that Bhandari, was hired by Samsung Engineering for consultancy services for USD 10 million was to be paid to him.

ONGC, SECL didn’t respond to email queries.

FosterWheller company spokesperson could not be located by HT.