Rosaiah charges Naidu with securing works for Satyam

Hyderabad Feb 11: Expressing willingness to entrust the probe into the multi-million dollar Satyam fraud to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Finance Minister K. Rosaiah dared Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu to respond to the charges raised about the “irregularities” in Heritage Foods, promoted his family.

Mr. Rosaiah also raised apprehensions about the “motives behind Mr. Naidu’s alleged visits to Malaysia once every fortnight” without the knowledge of even his party leaders. “Why is Mr. Naidu frequently visiting Malaysia? Is it to interact with his relatives? Facts about the issues will come out in due course of time,” he said.


Speaking to reporters in the Assembly lobbies on Monday, Mr. Rosaiah launched a trenchant attack on the TDP president for his comments that “Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy is responsible for the present fate of Satyam and Maytas companies. It was Mr. Naidu who encouraged Satyam’s former chairman B. Ramalinga Raju and the companies secure works in different States during the TDP regime,” he said.


Accusing Mr. Naidu of trying to evade replies to charges of irregularities in Heritage Foods, he recalled that P.N.V. Prasad, an erstwhile close associate of Mr. Naidu, had alleged that Satyam had funded the education of Mr. Naidu’s son N. Lokesh. “The TDP president, however, feigns ignorance about Mr. Ramalinga Raju,” he said.


Mr. Rosaiah took objection to doubts raised by Mr. Naidu about “my capability of holding the Finance portfolio after admitting that I had no idea about money laundering.”

The TDP president, however, had a “fairly good idea” about the issue given the way he specifically pointed out the countries as well as the routes through which money could be brought into the country, he said.


The Finance Minister refused to elaborate when asked to explain his charges against Mr. Naidu saying “it will not be appropriate to comment when investigation is in progress. The result will be known once the probe is completed.”
(Source The Hindu)