Mathew Samuel casts net wider, says Advani's pvt secy wanted money

Mathew Samuel casts net wider, says Advani's pvt secy wanted money
Express News Service

Thiruvananthapuram, March 14: Tehelka.com’s special correspondent Mathew Samuel, who was part of the portal's sting operation on defence deals, today said there was a second set of tapes with more explosive information on the involvement of higher-ups in the Union Government.

Mathew claimed that Union Home Minister L K Advani's private secretary had demanded a 25 per cent kickback in the Rs 1,300-crore deal for procuring a communication system from an Israeli company for border fencing. He alleged that Union Communications Minister Ram Vilas Paswan had also accepted a bribe. However, Mathew wouldn't divulge either the amount allegedly taken by Paswan, or the deal he took it for.

The Union Home Ministry dismissed as ``mischievous and malicious'' Mathew's claims. ``There is no proposal for border fencing and communication systems involving any Israeli firm,'' said a ministry statement.

Mathew also accused the Prime Minister's Office Principal Secretary and National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra of playing a key role in defence deals. He claimed that massive procurement of defence equipment took place immediately after the Kargil war and the blast in the Ordinance Depot in Bharatpur, in which a huge quantity of weapons were destroyed.

Mathew alleged that corruption had tinged even the purchase of smart ammunition during the Kargil war. ``The Centre quickly purchased these bombs without negotiating the price at Rs 14 lakh a piece against the actual price of Rs six lakh a piece. The deal was worth Rs 270 crore, and a 50 per cent commission was taken,'' he added.

Samuel, however, spared Army Chief Padmanabhan. ``He is not involved in this scandal,'' he declared.

Samuel also hinted that tehelka.com had ``certain information'' on the Congress which could not be used at the moment.

Mathew, who hails from Pathanapuram in Kollam district in Kerala, claimed he was facing a threat to his life ever since the team'c cover blew. ``My wife who works in Delhi was recently followed by some suspicious looking people,'' he said.

Though Mathew refused to divulge the modus operandi deployed, he said he was writing a book on it.