PWD’s internal inquiry into Smith case a joke: AAP

the goan I networkrPanajir r“It has been two days since the matter has come to light and no one has been speaking about it. It is for the simple reason that both the Congress and the BJP were in power between the period mentioned in the revelations in the US,” AAP’s Valmiki Naik said at a press conference. “Dhavalikar said that he has instituted a probe in the matter. There cannot be a bigger joke than this. Is the PWD going to investigate itself?” Naik asked. r“What powers does the PWD have? This is a criminal matter and needs to be investigated after registering an FIR,” AAP’s state convenor Elvis Gomes demanded. rThe AAP has demanded that the Anti-corruption Branch (ACB) should immediately register a FIR in the CDM Smith bribery case under the relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. r“Aam Aadmi Party demands that all CMs, PWD Ministers, PWD Secretaries and PWD engineers holding relevant offices in the 2011 to 2015 period are suspects in the bribery scandal and must be named in the FIR,” Naik said. r“Since the needle of suspicion directly points to his CM tenure between March 2012 and November 2014, we challenge Parrikar to surrender the Home portfolio to a Cabinet colleague and allow the ACB to investigate and act without fear or favour,” he added. r“How can PWD investigate its own functioning? The bribery has already happened. It’s in black and white. PWD minister and PWD have no locus-standi to ‘inquire’. They have to be investigated. Dhavalikar himself, along with all CMs, PWD Secretaries, NHAI officials and local PWD officials who held office between 2011 and 2015 are prime suspects. All have to be investigated,” AAP’s spokesperson Ashley do Rosario said. The party has promised that if within reasonable time the government does not act, they will approach the office of Lokayukta with all the evidence on record. rr Thieves cannot probe into their own acts r No one has been speaking about the scam as both Congress and BJP were in power during that periodr Anti-Corruption Branch should immediately register a First Information Report in the matter