Committees said Swiss timing was the best: Kalmadi tells court -Governance Now

Committees said Swiss timing was the best: Kalmadi tells court

"There was a recommendation by members of international federation that Swiss Timing had the best and reliable system"

PTI | May 24, 2012

Sacked CWG organising committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi, facing prosecution in a games-related graft case, on Thursday told a Delhi court that various panels set up to procure equipments for the mega sporting event had said that Swiss timing has the "best and reliable" timing, scoring and result system.

Lok sabha MP Kalmadi and 10 others have been chargesheeted by the CBI under various sections of the Indian penal code and and the prevention of corruption act for "illegally" awarding the contract to install timing, scoring and results (TSR) system for the 2010 games to Swiss timing, causing a loss of over Rs 90 crore to the exchequer.

Advancing the arguments on framing of charges, Kalmadi's lawyer said TSR is a critical aspect of the game to facilitate wide range of functions and the various committees, consisting of senior government officials and members of the national and international federations, had held Swiss timing as the best.

"There was a recommendation by members of international federation in a meeting held in March 2009 that Swiss timing had the best and reliable system," senior advocate H H Ponda, appearing for Kalmadi, told special CBI judge Talwant Singh.

Ponda said after the names of firms were recommended for the TSR system, various committees were constituted and they took the decision after going through all the details.

He said neither Kalmadi nor the games organising committee (OC) was involved in the process of procurement of equipments.

"I was neither in acceptance nor in procurement and even the OC was not there in the procurement," Ponda said adding that OC only gave recommendations and planning for the games.

The arguments remained inconclusive on Thursday and would continue on May 26.

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