2G scam: Supreme Court criticises Kapil Sibal for undermining CAG report
By ANIFriday, January 21, 2011
NEW DELHI - The Supreme Court on Friday pulled up Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal for making statements that undermined the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the 2G spectrum scam.
“It is unfortunate. The minister should behave with some sense of responsibility,” the bench of Justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly said.In our opinion, the CBI which is conducting investigation into the 2G scam is expected to carry out the probe without being influenced by the statement made by anybody, anywhere,” the bench added.
Sibal on January 7 challenged the CAG’s report, saying the figure of Rs. 1.76 lakh crore is utterly erroneous.
“Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) figure of Rs. 1.76 lakh crore is utterly erroneous. The losses were much lower and that over Rs. 100 crore had been recovered after the government sent out notices,” he told reporters.
Sibal agreed with the CAG on two counts - one, that there was something wrong with the rollout of the telecom policy and two, that there was criminal culpability and which is why the CBI, under the Supreme Court, was investigating the matter. (ANI)
