Ananda (Maxis boss) named in India telecom scam

M'sian tycoon named in India telecom scam (Update)

Posted on 10 October 2011 - 07:28pm
Last updated on 11 October 2011 - 09:21am

 

PETALING JAYA (Oct 10, 2011): Tycoon and majority shareholder of Maxis Communications Bhd (MCB) T Ananda Krishnan and its director Ralph Marshall have come under formal investigation by India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) surrounding the ownership change in Aircel, a Chennai-based cellular company, according to Indian press reports.

The New Indian Express reported today that Ananda and Marshall were booked along with former Indian telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran and his brother Kalanidhi and three companies – Astro, MCB and Sun TV in connection with the controversial Aircel-Maxis case on charges of criminal conspiracy under the India Penal Code (IPC) and Prevention of Corruption Act.

The case relates to MCB's takeover in 2006 of Aircel (formerly Dishnet) which was then owned by C. Sivasankaran.

After registering the case, the agency carried out searches at the premises of Maran brothers in Delhi and Chennai, The New Indian Express said.

Separately, The Times of India reported that the raids started at 7am today after the CBI registered a first information report (FIR) against Dayanidhi and Kalanithi in the Aircel-MCB deal.

Dayanidhi is accused of conspiracy, abuse of power and bribery as per the FIR, according to Hindustan Times.

In a filing to Bursa Malaysia on the probe, Maxis said the FIR does not have any impact on Maxis Bhd, the entity listed on Bursa Malaysia. 

It said MCB, which is a significant shareholder in Maxis, owns 74% of Aircel. Marshall is also a director of Maxis.

"CBI has registered case against Maran brothers, Marshall and Ananda and three companies under Section 120b of IPC read with 13(2) with 13 (1)(d) and also Section 7 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Case was registered on October 9. Searches were conducted at Delhi and Chennai," the New Indian Express reported CBI spokesperson Dharini Mishra as saying.

In its report, it has been alleged by Sivasankaran that Maran as the then telecom minister favoured MCB in the takeover of his company and in return investments were made by the company through Astro network in Sun TV owned by the Maran family, the New Indian Express said.

The agency had said that after Aircel was sold to MCB, investments were made by the Malaysian firm into the family business of Marans.

Former aides of Maran had reportedly told CBI that the processing of the files of Sivasankaran was delayed allegedly at the direction of the minister, agency sources told the New Indian Express.

Maran had refuted the allegations.

It was also contended that Marshall held meetings with the telecom minister between 2005 and 2006, said the New Indian Express.

According to the New Indian Expresss, Sivasankaran had alleged that his applications for licences were rejected when Maran was telecom minister in 2006, forcing him to sell his company to MCB, whose owner is considered to be close to Maran and his brother Kalanidhi, who owns Sun TV.

Later, Maran is alleged to have granted 14 licences to Dishnet Wireless (Aircel) during his tenure as the telecom minister. The allegations have been refuted by Maran.

The New Indian Express, quoting unnamed sources, reported that CBI is now looking into financial transactions of Sun TV and MCB as well as the various aspects of takeover of Aircel by Maxis group.

The probe agency has already registered a preliminary enquiry on issues in 2G spectrum allocation between 2001 and 2007 and is actively looking into matter.