Saudi ambassador to UK voted MENA diplomat of 2025    Saudi Awwal Bank signs SR2 billion credit facility with Saudi Binladin Group to propel development of King Fahd Sports City in Riyadh    Feast of Flavors and Prizes: LuLu Hypermarket kicks off the "World Food Festival" across Saudi Arabia    Pakistan closes airspace, suspends visaas in tit-for-tat measures against India    Saudia Group signs deal with Airbus for flyadeal's first wide-body aircraft    Saudi non-oil exports surge 14.3 percent to SR26.11bn in February    Saudi, Greek ministers co-chair inaugural meeting of Strategic Culture Committee    Israeli strikes across Gaza kill at least 26, Palestinian officials say    Trump's trade war olive branch met with derision and mistrust inside China    Ministry of Justice launches centralized court model to enhance judicial efficiency    Kyiv hit by deadly Russian missile and drone attack    Saudi Arabia elected chair of Asia region of World Meteorological Organization    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Jennifer Lopez dazzles in Jeddah with a Formula 1 performance    Saudi Arabia open to expanded 64-team World Cup in 2034, says sports minister    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Super Max Verstappen scorches to pole with record lap in Jeddah    Film Commission launches 'Cinema' initiative to enhance content    Famed Philippine film star Nora Aunor dies at 71    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Manmohan to answer court
HENRY FOY
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 19 - 11 - 2010

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been forced to explain to the Supreme Court his failure to probe a huge telecoms scam, in a widening scandal that prompted telecom investors to ditch their shares on Thursday.
Solicitor general Gopal Subramanium, representing Singh, will appear before the court by Saturday, the court said. Telecom shares fell as much as 10 percent as investors feared a full-scale investigation into the license allocations.
The court ruling has turned the spotlight on the scandal on to the highest political office in the country, underscoring the depth of the probe that could destabilise Singh's coalition and reduce government to policy limbo.
Telecoms Minister Andimuthu Raja was sacked at the weekend over accusations he sold telecoms licenses too cheaply, potentially losing the state up to $31 billion in revenues, according to a government audit.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court took the rare step of publicly criticizing Singh's slowness in deciding if Raja could be charged and investigated.
Raja is a member of the DMK, a regional party from Tamil Nadu that helps give the Congress party a majority in Parliament. The opposition has stalled parliament as it claims Singh failed to act because he feared upsetting his coalition partner.
The court's criticisms have tarnished Singh's image as one of the country's most honest politicians and led to criticism he has failed to act on graft in a country mired by corruption.
While Singh and his coalition government are likely to survive the scandal, Congress is mindful that in 1989 it lost a general election partly due to a scandal over gun contracts involving close associates of then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who were accused of taking bribes.
Senior Congress leaders met on Thursday to discuss the Supreme Court's remarks and opposition demands for a joint inquiry, with the ruling party anxious to end the parliamentary deadlock to allow the discussion of crucial pending reforms.
The opposition has stepped up its demand for a parliamentary probe after a report from the government auditor said the state may have lost up to $31 billion in revenues, roughly equivalent to the defence budget, in the granting of licences in 2007-2008.
Shares in mobile operator Reliance Communications and Unitech closed down 4.9 and 4.2 percent respectively on Thursday, as a wave of regulatory uncertainty swept through India's fiercely competitive mobile phone industry.
“There are concerns in the minds of investors that there could be an investigation in how companies like Unitech and Reliance Communications obtained spectrum,” said Arun Kejriwal, a strategist with research firm KRIS.
Raja is accused of selling the licences at deliberately low prices to companies, some of which were ineligible, a charge he denies. The process also violated several rules, the report said.
Swan Telecom, since then bought into by UAE's Etisalat , was given a licence despite a unit of No 2 telecoms firm Reliance Communications holding over 10 percent of equity, a violation of rules, the report said.
Several firms, which now are part of Telenor's India operations, were also given licences despite not having adequate capital, the report said.
Indian real estate firm Unitech, which has a telecoms joint venture with Norway's Telenor, stated on Thursday that it had complied with guidelines prescribed by the Indian telecoms ministry in an attempt to quell investor fears.
Even by the standards of India, where corruption is pervasive, the scale of the 2G scandal has shocked India and galvanised the Hindu nationalist-led opposition.
India was ranked 87th in Transparency International's 2010 ranking of nations based on the perceived level of corruption. India lies behind rival China, which is in 78th place. The Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has threatened to block reform bills unless the government orders a parliamentary inquiry, though it is not thought likely to try to topple Singh's administration.
“The BJP is so embroiled in its own corruption allegations, such as in Karnataka, that it will not take the risk of attempting to pull down the government” said Amulya Ganguli, political commentator.
– Agence France


Clic here to read the story from its source.