Our report vindicated by Tehelka tapes: CVC

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, APRIL 1. The Central Vigilance Commissioner, Mr. N. Vittal, today said the Tehelka tapes ``expose'' had vindicated the interim report on defence deals which was submitted last August, but refrained from disclosing the contents of the final report now with the Government.

Mr. Vittal, who submitted the final report to the Defence Minister, Mr. Jaswant Singh, yesterday, left it to the Government to take action.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a CBI function here, the CVC said the Commission had perused some 500 files pertaining to 25 defence deals before submitting the report.

In February last year, the Defence Minister, Mr. George Fernandes, requested the CVC to go into every defence deal over Rs. 75 crores since 1989, following allegations of presence of middlemen contrary to the Government's policy of not dealing through them. Mr. Vittal said apart from these cases, the CVC also looked into 20 cases mentioned by the former MP, Mr. Jayant Malhotra, and seven cases mentioned by Rear Admiral R. V. Purohit.

Referring to the proposed CVC Bill where the Government has agreed to go with the recommendation of the Parliamentary Committee on Single Directive, Mr. Vittal said a similar clause had been struck down twice by the apex court. The ``single directive'' norm makes it obligatory on the prosecution agency to seek permission from the Government before moving against an officer of the rank of Joint Secretary and above.

`Most corrupt'

PTI reports:

The CVC, referring to Saturday's raids on the premises of senior Customs officials including the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) chief, Mr. B. P. Verma, Mr. Vittal pointed out that he had said soon after the Prime Minister announced zero tolerance on corruption that the Revenue Department, including customs and excise, was the ``most corrupt'' in the country.

But, he said, ``everything in our country starts with a bang and ends with a whimper.''

Recalling that a Minister of State had earlier protested on his remark about corruption in the Revenue Department, the CVC said, ``I think the public perception and what comes out now only shows that what I said was not without basis.''

On the defrauding of the Bank of India to the tune of over Rs. 130 crores in the pay-order scam, Mr. Vittal said that when the BoI made a reference to the Commission, it would be looked into.

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