BANGALORE: The Corps of Detectives (CoD), which investigated the alleged financial irregularities in the Legislative Assembly Secretariat, has indicted more than a dozen officials, including an under-secretary, for their alleged involvement in passing fake or inflated bills and making payments to contractors even in cases where the work had not been completed.

In its report submitted to the Speaker, the CoD has said that many of the bills for the repair of furniture were scrutinised and passed by an under-secretary even though he had no powers to do so. The purchases were so made that they were for less than Rs. 1 lakh to avoid having to call for tenders (under the Transparency Act, tenders have to be called for purchases over Rs. 1 lakh).

The office did not maintain a register for repairs though lakhs of rupees was spent. Besides, there was no centralised department or system for repair or procurement, and each section in the office worked independently of the other in purchasing or repairing articles.

The report, covering 11 chapters on the alleged irregularities, deals with the purchase of 230 briefcases, purchase of sofas and other furniture, curtains and drapes, computers and other office equipment. In almost every case, the investigators found that the norms had been violated and payments made to contractors without ascertaining whether the work had completed.

Contractor's admission

On the briefcase deal, the CoD sleuths have found that officials had paid Rs. 2,300 for each briefcase though the market value was Rs. 800. The contractor who supplied the briefcases admitted to having paid a bribe of Rs. 13,000 to a high-ranking official in the Speaker's office.

When the office called for tenders to supply briefcases, the contractor had quoted Rs. 1,400 a briefcase. When the bids were opened, his bid was Rs. 2,300 and he was paid more than Rs. 4.5 lakhs. When questioned, the contractor reportedly said he inflated figures after allegedly having been told to do so. A sum of Rs. 96,000 was spent on upgrading each of the two computers in the office. The Microsoft software for the computers was procured by a contractor for Rs. 13,000 and sold to the office for Rs. 26,000.

The office failed to maintain a register to keep samples of curtains and drapes. The sleuths could not find new curtains or drapes in the office even though the contractors said they had supplied them.

Letters by some legislators, including a former Minister and Leader of the Opposition, to the office were "transformed" into bills and payments made on their basis. The new furniture purchased was not found. Nor could the old furniture be located.

In another case, the office approved a bid by a woman for supply of some articles. A bid made by the woman's husband, which was high, had been rejected.

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