Anil Ambani was not director of Swan Tel: witness tells court

Chairman of Reliance ADA Group Anil Ambani was not the director of Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd and Tiger Traders Pvt Ltd, the two alleged associate firms of the group, a prosecution witness told a Delhi court today.

"Reliance ADA Group refers to companies which are under the chairmanship of Anil Ambani. The directors of the company select one of them as chairman.

"Anil Ambani was not director of Swan Capital Pvt Ltd/Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd and Tiger Traders Pvt Ltd," a prosecution witness and Reliance Infrastructure Ltd's Senior Executive Vice President Ashish Tambawala told Special CBI Judge O P Saini.

He said Reliance ADA Group is an umbrella of several companies belonging to it and he, during his tenure with the group, has been the authorised signatory of 150 to 200 firms.

"I have been authorised signatory of 150 to 200 companies during my tenure with Reliance ADA Group. Reliance ADA Group is an umbrella of several companies belonging to the group.

"Each company of the group has its own separate identity. Reliance ADA Group is generic name without any legal identity," he said.

The CBI, in its charge sheet in the 2G case, had alleged that Tiger Traders Pvt Ltd and Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd were associate companies of Reliance ADA Group.

Testifying as a witness, Tambawala said one can be made be authorised signatory of a company even if he is neither its shareholder nor a director or an employee.
"I have been authorised signatory of many companies of which Anil Ambani has not been chairman during my tenure with the Reliance ADA Group. I have been authorised signatory of companies in which individuals were shareholders and not necessarily that shareholders were Reliance companies," he said.

Tambawala, whose cross examination would continue tomorrow, said it was usual for companies, doing business with each other, to keep transferring their funds from one company to another.

He said the Reliance ADA Group operates in different sectors including power, media, telecom and infrastructure.

He deposed that when his statement was recorded by the CBI, Reliance Infrastructure Ltd's Additional Vice President (Account and Finance) Bharat Amberkar too was present there.

"When statement of Bharat Amberkar was being recorded, V M Mittal of CBI, Bharat Amberkar himself, myself and an stenographer were present in the room. Same was the position when my statement was recorded. All four of us were within hearing distance of each other," he said.

During his deposition, when he was shown letter regarding amendment of authorised signatories of Swan Consultants (P) Ltd, which later changed its name to Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd, Tambawala said he did not know who prepared this document.
"I do not know who prepared this document, when and where. I also do not know who signed it and who gave it to the bank. I also do not know as to why this amendment was required," he said.

Similarly, he said he did not know as to why there was requirement to amend the authorised signatories of Sonata Investments Ltd, another alleged associate of Reliance ADA Group.