CBI official in London to probe TV rights scam

Kavita Bajeli-Datt

A senior official of the Central Bureau of Investigation has left for London to probe alleged financial irregularities in the award of telecast rights for sports events by India's national broadcaster.

"Deputy Inspector General S P Singh left for London Thursday," an official of the CBI said. He would meet International Cricket Council anti-corruption unit chief Paul Condon.

"Condon has promised assistance to the CBI in investigating the scam," the official said.

The CBI is probing alleged irregularities in the obtaining and re-selling of telecast rights for sports events by national broadcaster Doordarshan.

"As officials of global bodies like the ICC and its subsidiary, ICC Development (International) Ltd., were involved in negotiations with Doordarshan, there might be a need to question some of their officials," the official said.

"Apart from ICC officials, Singh would also meet the Scotland Yard police. Private company owners who were awarded the telecast rights will also be examined," he said.

Singh would be staying in London for a week and then leave for the central European principality of Monaco.

He said in Monaco many Doordarshan officials had met owners of private companies and financial transactions were made. "Doordarshan officials had flown to Monaco in 1998. The CBI will talk to officials of such companies and will see their records," he said.

The CBI official was to leave for the probe last month but was delayed as the agency was finishing its investigations over the financial bungling.

On May, the CBI also questioned WorldTel chief Mark Mascarenhas for more than three hours in this connection. Mascarenhas recently signed ace Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar for a five-year contract worth Rs.1 billion for endorsing WorldTel.

The agency registered a case last November against six former Doordarshan officials and three firms, including sports broadcasting major WorldTel, for causing huge losses to the state exchequer through illegal practices in the award of telecast rights for major sports events like the 1999 cricket World Cup and the 1997 French Open tennis tournament.

The CBI has also named the ICC and its subsidiary company as accused parties. The agency is currently investigating the award of telecast rights to the ICC Knockout Cup 1998, French Open Tennis Tournament 1997, World Cup 1996, Wimbledon 1997 and Independence Cup 1997 cricket tournament.

The agency is also investigating allegations of undue benefits given to WorldTel by Doordarshan officials. In its complaint, the CBI said these officials had abused their positions and entered into a criminal conspiracy with the intention of cheating the state-owned broadcaster.

The CBI last year searched the properties owned by former ICC chief Jagmohan Dalmiya and Mascarenhas. During these raids, CBI sleuths seized "incriminating documents," which reportedly showed that bungling by Doordarshan officials cost the broadcaster billions of rupees.

Investigations have shown that Stracon, a very small company without any proper infrastructure at that time, was given sports telecast rights without any verification by Doordarshan officials.

"It appeared that Stracon was granted these rights in an illegal manner, as it allegedly had the backing of WorldTel," he said.

Indo-Asian News Service