The CBI has booked some executives of the Indian subsidiary of US-based firm CDM Smith and unidentified officials of the NHAI in a case of alleged bribery of over USD 1.18 million to secure contracts, officials said.
The CBI is carrying out searches at five locations in Bengaluru and Chennai at the offices of the CDM Smith and also at the residence of the then Director Finance of its Indian subsidiary, Gopakumar, since this morning, the officials said.
The agency has named in its FIR the US-based company, its Indian subsidiary CDM Smith India Private Limited based in Bengaluru, Gopakumar, the then Manager of RV Infra Solutions, S Krishnamurthy, and other unidentified executives of the US- based company, its Indian arm and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), they said.
It is alleged that the company paid bribes to the tune of USD 1.18 million through its Indian arm to various officials of NHAI to secure contracts between 2011, 2016, the officials said.It is alleged that in order to cover up their illegal acts of bribery, the accused officials of the CDM Smith showed these expenses as "allowable business expenses" in their income tax returns.