Formula-E race case: ACB grills KTR for seven hours; BRS leader says he cooperated

Hyderabad: BRS leader K T Rama Rao, who was questioned by the Anti-Corruption Bureau on Thursday in the Formula-E race case, said he answered all the agency's queries and is prepared to appear again if required, even as he launched a vitriolic attack on Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.

Responding to Rama Rao's criticism against the CM and state government, Congress MLC Balmoori Venkat said the BRS leader himself had accepted a procedural lapse (in the transfer of funds to race organisers) which is being probed.

Speaking to reporters after exiting the ACB headquarters, Rama Rao, the prime accused in the case registered by the ACB over alleged irregularities in the Formula-E race, said the officials asked him "80 plus" questions and they recorded his statement.

He stated that he had cooperated fully with the agency officials.

"Whatever questions the ACB asked me, I responded in detail to the best of my understanding. I told them that I would appear whenever they call me," said Rama Rao, who was questioned for about seven hours.

Terming the case against him as 'false' and 'irrational', he claimed that he told the investigators they were acting under "government pressure" and didn’t know what they were doing.

He alleged that "it would be (Chief Minister) Revanth Reddy's stupidity if he thinks he can achieve something with such a politically motivated case." The BRS working president claimed that the investigators asked him "four or five questions given by Revanth Reddy" in multiple ways.

He also stated that there was no corruption in the Formula-E case, as he had authorised the payment, which the race organisers acknowledged.

Rama Rao said the ACB officials asked him the same questions "over and over" and he gave the same answers.

He said he asked them as to who is the beneficiary in the alleged misappropriation and where are the proceeds of crime.

Maintaining that he took the decision (to transfer funds) to host the race in the absence of a promoter to safeguard the brand image of the state and city, the BRS MLA said he told the investigators that he would do so again if he had to do it.

He realised that the investigators did not have a case against him and that they were going to make a "fool out of themselves".

"They might arrest me, they might put me in jail for a few days. The Chief Minister, who is a criminal himself, might get some sadistic pleasure out of it. But, eventually, the fact is truth will prevail," he said.

Noting that he has immense faith in the judiciary, he said he will explore all legal avenues available to him.

Had CM Revanth Reddy not cancelled the race of the second season "unilaterally", the state would have benefited. Therefore, Reddy should be the accused, he claimed.

Rama Rao's lawyer accompanied him to the ACB office though he was allowed by the High Court to sit only in a different room.

Congress MLC Venkat said the BRS Working President is attacking the CM and government to "protect himself".

Recalling the CM's comments that the law would take its course in the case, Congress MP Mallu Ravi said Rama Rao should prove his honesty in courts.

Rama Rao, also known as KTR, was summoned by the ACB for questioning in the case related to the alleged "unauthorised" payments to conduct Formula E race, on Thursday.

The ACB on December 19 registered a case against Rao, over alleged payments, most of it in foreign currency without approvals, to conduct the race in February 2023 during the previous regime.

The case was registered under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and IPC dealing with criminal misappropriation, criminal misconduct, criminal breach of trust and criminal conspiracy that allegedly resulted in the loss to the government exchequer to the tune of about Rs 55 crore.

Though the race was supposed to be held in February 2024 as well, it was cancelled after the Congress government assumed office in December 2023.

Rao, who was Municipal Administration Minister during the previous BRS regime, was also summoned by the ED for questioning on January 16 over alleged irregularities in conducting the race in Hyderabad.

The FIR named Rao, an MLA now, as the prime accused, senior IAS officer Arvind Kumar and retired bureaucrat BLN Reddy as accused no 2 and 3 respectively.

State Congress spokesperson Sama Rammohan Reddy said Rama Rao's comments on the CM "reflect the BRS leader's arrogance and true character". He alleged a violation of rules by Rama Rao in the Formula-E race issue as minister during the BRS government.