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Onkar Singh in New Delhi
The Central Bureau of Investigation, which lodged a first information report against Congress president Sonia Gandhi's private secretary V George two days ago, clarified on Thursday that the real investigation would only begin now.
Joint Director Neeraj Kumar told rediff.com that the investigation would be a long-drawn process as the agency would need the co-operation of some foreign countries from where George had received gifts from time to time.
"He was a government servant from 1984 through 1990. During this period he occasionally received gifts from abroad, mainly the United States of America," Kumar said. Apparently these gifts were received in the name of George's children and other relatives.
Kumar said the agency would have to write to the US government and seek its permission to proceed with the inquiry, which would take time.
The CBI also released details of the sums allegedly received by George from various sources and the money he spent to buy properties all over India.
Kumar said George had paid Rs 85 lakh [Rs 8.5 million] by cheque for the property bought in Anand Niketan. The two shops in the World Trade Centre at Connaught Place were bought for Rs 10.5 lakh each. And the property at Nebh Sarai, New Delhi, was bought and sold by Lilly George's father for Rs 32 lakh.
"The total cost [of the different properties] evaluated by us is Rs 1.58 crore [Rs 15.8 million] at the time of purchase," said a senior CBI officer. "Now of course these properties are worth over Rs 100 crore."
All these properties were acquired after 1991, when George ceased to be a public servant as defined under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
According to the CBI, George also received large sums of money from abroad after June 1991. Gifts received in deposits alone were worth Rs 1.25 crore [Rs 12.5 million]. Then he allegedly received Rs 41 lakh [Rs 4.1 million] in December 1991, Rs 70 lakh in December 1992, Rs 20 lakh in March 1995, Rs 71 lakh in January 1996, Rs 30 lakh in March 1997 and Rs 25 lakh in November 1999.
S M Khan, CBI spokesman, said George's claim that these were business transactions of the two firms owned by his wife Lilly -- Lilliens Exports and Diana Agencies -- did not wash. "There was no business activity that could have generated so much income," he said. "The statement of Smt Lilly George herself reveals that these business were active only around 1991-92."
The CBI in its FIR has also noted that while George earned Rs 8,84,772 between November 1984 and December 1990, he has shown only Rs 1,20,286 as expenses incurred in the same period, when he was private secretary to the prime minister and, later, the leader of the Opposition.
"Even if we assume that he did save Rs 7 lakh in this period, the assets he acquired in the same period are worth over Rs 18 lakh. So there is a discrepancy there as well," pointed out another CBI officer.
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