CBI to submit fresh report on Lavalin case

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CBI team, which had conducted a further investigation into the controversial SNC Lavalin scam, will submit its report in the CBI Special Court here on Monday. It is learnt that the content of the investigation report has news that may come as a relief to former Power Ministers G Karthikeyan and Pinarayi Vijayan, whose names have been associated with the scam. Karthikeyan was the Power Minister in the A K Antony-led Government when the state signed an MoU with Canadian SNC Lavalin Inc for the renovation of hydro electric power stations at Pallivasal, Chengsulam and Panniyar in Idukki.However, the MoU was later converted into a consultancy contract, which had a clause for nullifying the deal if conditions of it were not agreeable to the parties. The report says that the CBI team did not come across any evidence which substantiated the allegations about the involvement of Karthikeyan in the scam. Also, they could not unearth any evidence to prove that Pinarayi Vijayan, who succeeded Karthikeyan as the Power Minister, had made any financial gains from the deal, after going through his bank accounts. It is also learnt that the CBI team was in its final stages of proceedings to produce a Red Corner Notice against Klaus Triendl, the former vice-president of the SNC Lavalin Inc, who has been listed as an accused in the case. The aid of Interpol will be sought in this regard, it is learnt. The further investigation was carried out by the Anti-Corruption Branch of the Chennai unit of the CBI following the directive of the Kochi CBI Court which raised doubt about the absence of the names of Karthikeyan and former KSEB Chairman R Sivadasan in the chargesheet that was filed in the court earlier.