The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Role of banks to be examined in A.P. fisheries scam

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Tuesday, Dec 30, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Role of banks to be examined in A.P. fisheries scam

Special Correspondent

“Banks will be ‘partners in crime’ if found to have colluded”

Suryanarayana opened four to six accounts in each of the 5 banks now under the scanner
He opened the accounts in names such as ‘Suryanarayana’, ‘Narayana’ among others

HYDERABAD: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) will examine the role of five nationalised banks in the multi-crore scandal involving the Andhra Pradesh Fisheries Department Executive Engineer, V. Suryanarayana, now in jail.

The banks which will come under the scanner of ACB include the State Bank of India (SBI), State Bank of Hyderabad, Bank of Maharashtra, Corporation Bank and the Andhra Bank. Suryanarayana was found to have opened four to six accounts in each of the five banks to receive as much as Rs. 200 crore from various government departments that entrusted works to the Fisheries for construction of buildings. He opened the accounts in names such as “Suryanarayana”, “Narayana”, “Executive Engineer, Fisheries” and “Office of Commissioner of Fisheries”, ACB Director General R.R. Girish Kumar told a press conference here on Monday.

A hurdle

The ACB sleuths are, however, yet to compile information about the total number of accounts that Suryanarayana had opened. The information gathering has been particularly hindered in several districts where he executed the works indulging in jugglery of words while operating the bank accounts.

ACB would probe whether the banks followed due diligence in opening the accounts. The banks would be declared partners in crime if they were found to have acted in collusion with Suryanarayana.

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