Amidst allegations that the ministry of home affairs (MHA) had allegedly leaked the controversial telephone conversations between corporate lobbyist Niira Radia, senior journalists and corporate members, the ministry has claimed that it didn’t even have access to the tapes.
“I wish to clarify that neither I nor the Ministry of Home Affairs had access or have any access to any of the tapes concerning the interception of the telephones of Niira Radia. I also understand from the affidavits given by the Ministry of Finance (CBDT) that some portion of the tapes had been given to the CBI for investigation,” GK Pillai, the home secretary clarified in a statement. The clarification was issued after reports appeared in two magazines.
“I have neither heard nor seen the tapes. The allegations that I am leaking these tapes, at the behest of the Union Home Minister, are totally unfounded and false,” he said.
Pillai also clarified that his statements were misunderstood and he was quoted out of context in his interview to the Wall Street Journal.
“I had only stated that the interception of the telephone calls had been authorised by the Home Ministry on account of allegations concerning tax evasion and hawala, and that no tapes concerning tax evasion and hawala had appeared in the press. These were the subject matter of investigation by the CBDT and would be only disclosed later when the charge-sheets are filed by the concerned agencies,” Pillai added.
Within a few weeks after the tapes’ contents were printed in magazines, the government had asked CBDT and the intelligence bureau (IB) to find out how the telephone conversations that were recorded in 2009 were leaked to a section of the media and which people and agencies were behind these leaks.
