Two officials of the National Institute of Empowerment of Personal and Multiple Disabilities (NIEPMD) are under CBI probe for allegedly collecting Rs 5 lakh in instalments to clear a bill for constructions at the institute’s ECR campus worth Rs 9 crore. The Chennai unit of the central agency has also booked the director of the construction company who has given the bribe to get the bill cleared.
Representative image.
Chennai:
The officials were identified as Mohammed Ibrahim, presently working as accounts officer (officiating) NIEPMD, Chennai, and is responsible for signing cheques, releasing of funds and all accounts related matters; and SK Samy, assistant estate and maintenance officer, who is responsible for maintenance/construction of all buildings inside the institute campus.
The third accused, N Srinivasan, is the Director of SSS Hi-Tech Constructions Private Limited, Tondiarpet, who had undertaken construction work at NIEPMD, East Coast Road, Muttukadu, for a total value of Rs 9 crore.
As the bills that the company had submitted were pending clearance by Mohammed Ibrahim, Srinivasan requested SK Samy to clear his bills and release funds, on March 13. Samy advised him to approach Mohammed Ibrahim and pay the bribe to get his bills settled. When Srinivasan requested Ibrahim to clear his pending bills, the latter allegedly demanded 1 per cent of the total bill amount, which works out to Rs 9 lakh, as bribe. After negotiation, Ibrahim agreed to reduce it to Rs 5 lakh. The first installment of Rs 1 lakh was delivered to Samy the same day.
On March 31, Ibrahim cleared Srinivasan’s bills to the tune of Rs 5.10 crore. After this, Srinivasan transferred cash through his employees to bank accounts referred to by Samy.
The total bribe amount Srinivasan paid worked out to Rs 5 lakh as demanded by Ibrahim and Samy, said the CBI FIR.
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