Fund to Swan Consultants, later telecom appears signed by Anil Ambani: Witness

The written instructions for transfer of over Rs 100 crore to Swan Consultants Private Limited, which later became Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd, an accused firm in the 2G case, "appears" to have been signed by Reliance ADA Group Chairman Anil Ambani, a CBI witness today told a Delhi court.

According to the CBI charge sheet, Reliance Telecom Ltd (RTL) had allegedly used Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd, an ineligible firm, as its "front" company to get the 2G spectrum licenses and the costly radio waves in 2008 during the tenure of former Telecom Minister A Raja, the key accused in the case.

RTL and three top executives of Reliance ADAG – Gautam Doshi, Surendra Pipara and Hari Nair, are facing trial in the case alongwith Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd and its promoters Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka.

RTL and the three top executives of Reliance ADAG, during the argument on charges in the court, had opposed all the allegations levelled against them by the CBI in its charge sheet.

Deposing as a CBI witness in the court, Amit Khot, Deputy Branch Manager of ICICI Bank's Matunga Branch in Mumbai, said that as per the documents, Vikata Engineering Services Pvt Ltd had asked the ICICI bank to transfer Rs 100 crore to Swan Consultants Pvt Ltd on May 25, 2007.

"Document, instructions regarding transfer of funds... appears to have been signed by Anil Ambani at point A, when compared with specimen signature available," Khot told Special CBI Judge O P Saini.

According to the CBI, the document pertains to a "bunch of original RTGS advices including RTGS advice dated January 22, 2007 of Swan Consultants Pvt Ltd to ICICI Bank Ltd, Mumbai, regarding transfer of Rs 3 crore to Tiger Traders Pvt Ltd and RTGS advices dated May 25, 2007 of Vikata Engineering Services Pvt Ltd to ICICI Bank Ltd Mumbai regarding transfer of Rs 100 crore to Swan Consultants Pvt Ltd."

... contd.

ALSO READ

GST panel says no to placing mobiles in declared goods list

Indian card processor in $45 mn heist is ElectraCard

Weekly review: Rupee plunges to one-month low against US dollar

Weekly review: Market flies high on smart rally, Sensex, Nifty at 28-mth peak