Norway co bribed Kribhko official for securing biz

The UPA government is staring at yet another scam, with a senior officer of a cooperative under the Chemicals and Fertiliser Ministry being accused by the Norwegian government of accepting a bribe of $ one million from leading fertiliser company Yara International for offering help to clinch business in the country.

A section of the media has alleged that Yara wired the bribe amount into a Hong Kong account linked to Krishak Bharati Cooperative limited (Kribhco) board member Jivtesh Singh Maini and his son Gurpreetesh Singh Maini, basing their report on the finding of  Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime.
 It is alleged that the Yara had cut a deal with the officer’s son on the assurance that senior Maini would  help stitch a joint venture. 

The bribe in instalments was supposed to be paid to them in between 2007 to 2009, the Norwegian police has reportedly alleged.  

However, government officials are not willing to confirm the allegations sourced through the Norwegian police probe.  Kribhco Vice Chairman Chander Pal Singh had earlier denied that any of his employees were involved in Yara pay-offs. 

Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Shrikant Jena said that he was not aware of the issue. “I have not seen the report (on Kribhco fraud). However, the Government of India does not have administrative control over Kribhco, it is a cooperative. We wanted to make some appointments on the cooperative but the matter had reached court. I cannot comment on the report as I have not seen it,” Jena told Deccan Herald.