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ALLEGATIONS AGAINST 3 OFFICIALS
* Forgery of some documents and opening a new account in the name of GCA and misappropriating funds amounting to Rs 2.87 crore
* Withdrawal of Rs 26 lakh from Federal Bank on a fake identity on the pretext of giving the money to a company
* It is learnt that Rs 2.87 crore was siphoned off through over 50 transactions carried out in DCB Bank over 11 months
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Relieve Mulla,
says Panjikar
THE GOAN NETWORK
MAPUSA: North Goa Congress District President Amarnath Panjikar late Wednesday night said Goa Pradesh Congress Committee Vice President Akbar Mulla arrested in the GCA scam should be relieved forthwith, until the court absolves him of all charges.
“Akbar Mulla must be relieved immediately from the post of GPCC vice president. He can be reinstated once court clears his name in the multi-crore fraud charges,” Panjikar said.
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The ongoing case centered on allegations of misappropriation of funds involving top officials of the Goa Cricket Association (GCA) took a marked turn late in the evening on Wednesday with the Economic Offences Cell (EOC) of Goa Police, placing GCA president Chetan Desai, secretary Vinod Phadke and treasurer Akbar Mulla under arrest.
Speaking to media after the arrests, SP (EOC) Priyanka Kashyap confirmed the arrest and said, “We have moved ahead with the formal arrest of all the three accused named in the FIR. We need to have a custodial interrogation of the accused to understand the transactions.”
On June 2, EOC had registered an FIR under Section 408, 409, 419, 463, 464, 468, 471, 420 and 120 (B) of IPC against GCA president Chetan, secretary Vinod and treasurer Mulla for allegedly misappropriating funds worth Rs 3.13 crores.
In his complaint, life member of GCA Vilas Dessai had alleged that Chetan, Vinod and Mulla had forged some documents and later opened a new account in the name of GCA and misappropriated the funds amounting to Rs 2.87 crore received as TV subsidy from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
They also withdrew Rs 26 lakh from Federal Bank on a fake identity on the pretext of giving the money to a company namely 'Hako Enterprise' which was allegedly never given, it was stated.
All the three accused had denied the allegation against them and had filed a complaint leading to registration of an FIR against unknown persons under Section 406, 419, 463, 464, 468, 471, 420, 120 (B) of India Penal Code (IPC) for allegedly hatching a criminal conspiracy by impersonating president, secretary and treasurer of GCA and then forging fake documents, resolution and signatures of GCA thereby cheating GCA to the tune of Rs 2.87crore.
A delegation led by Vilas Desai had also met the Chief Minister delegation consisting of representatives of 21 Goa Cricket Association (GCA) affiliated clubs and former cricketers submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Tuesday, putting forth an unanimous demand to conduct a thorough investigation into the alleged cheating and misappropriation of funds by the present secretary, treasurer and one member of GCA.
Over the last few days, the police had asked banking establishments to submit details of banking procedures concerning these transactions.
It was learnt that Rs 2.87 crore was siphoned off through over 50 transactions carried out in DCB Bank over 11 months between April 2007 and March 2008 and that the money was withdrawn through self-cheques issued in different names.
Several bank officials have been called in so far for questioning.
Reacting to the development, Board of Control of Cricket in India Chief Operating Officer Ratnakar Shetty stated, “We came to know about the arrest just now and BCCI will take action against GCA as per board’s procedure.”
Previously, Vilas Dessai had informed that all details of misappropriation by the three officials, including the documents of FIR had been forwarded to BCCI president Anurag Thakur and secretary Ajay Shirke seeking their intervention by taking the GCA to task for all its corrupt practices.
In its response, BCCI had directed the GCA to give detailed account of all financial transactions explaining how and where all the BCCI grants were spent. Pressure will throw more light on the financial misappropriations.
Dessai had also added that a fresh fraud has surfaced and a huge some of Rs 5.14 cr which was received by GCA in 2008 has gone unaccounted. "The bank manager of DCB bank where the BCCI grants were deposited by GCA officials is also under the scanner and may face an arrest soon," he had sought to claim.
Meanwhile, Chetan Desai and Vinod Phadke have been shifted to Goa Medical College & Hospital as they complained of uneasiness.
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