Delhi Games chief willing to face probe

The chief of Commonwealth Games Suresh Kalmadi said he is willing to face any probe into allegations of corruption.

The chief of the Commonwealth Games Suresh Kalmadi has said that he is willing to face any probe into allegations of corruption and mismanagement dogging the event which is due to open in the Indian capital in October.

“I am prepared to face any scrutiny by Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) or even a judicial probe for all financial transactions being reported by the media,” said Kalmadi.

An Indian anti-corruption body last week reported it had found a host of problems with construction work, including the use of poor-quality materials and dubious contracts. The Central Vigilance Commission’s chief technical examiner inspected 15 sites around New Delhi and found a number of irregularities.

India’s media also reported that the British government had raised questions about suspect sums being transferred from the organising committee to a British-based firm. However, Kalmadi said all financial transactions had been carried out with the approval of various finance committees and he did not have any individual say in these matters. “The financial procedures at the organising committee are well laid down and transparent,” said the chief, adding that each finance committee had government representatives on board.

Kalmadi, who is also the chief of the Indian Olympic Association, said he had appointed a three-member panel to probe the allegations. He stated that the panel has been asked to submit its report by August 5.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 5^th, 2010.