Former Additional Secretary J S Maini allegedly passed on minutes of crucial departmental meetings relating to fertilizer cooperative Kribhco to his son who then forwarded it to Norweigian fertiliser firm Yara according to CBI sources.
The sources said the recovery of documents from the laptop of his son show that he had allegedly forwarded crucial records including minutes of some meetings which helped Yara to swing the proposed joint venture with Kribhco in 2007.
Maini, who was then posted in Chemical and Fertilisers Ministry, was also acting as an advisor to Kribhco, they claimed.
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The sources said CBI probe was triggered after receiving a judicial request from Norway seeking details of the alleged bribery scandal. The Letters Rogatory received from Norway showed that the scandal had material which needs probe in India as well.
Maini's son G S Maini runs a company with the name of Rhine and Raavi Credit Holdings Limited in Lajpat Nagar here.
CBI had last year started an inquiry into alleged pay-off of one million USD to Maini and his son by the Norwegian company for securing a joint venture with Krishak Bharati Co-operative Limited (Kribhco) in 2007.
The agency had started preliminary enquiry based on statements from Yara and Norwegian prosecution agency Okokrim in this regard, naming Maini and his son as suspects.
After the inquiry, CBI registered a case against Maini, his two sons--G S Maini and T S Maini and their wives.
It is alleged that transfer of over USD one million had taken place in the offshore accounts believed to be of Maini and his family members.