ACB Probe Into Formula-E: No case at all says KTR

Hyderabad: BRS working president K T Rama Rao, who was questioned by the Anti-Corruption Bureau on Thursday for over six hours in the Formula-E race case, said it was no case at all. He alleged that the officials had asked him a few questions given by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy in 40 different ways.

Speaking to the reporters after exiting the ACB headquarters, KTR, the prime accused in the case, 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 before them whenever they called me," he said. The BRS leader claimed that he had told the investigators that they were acting under "government pressure" and didn't know what they were doing.

He alleged that “it would be Revanth Reddy’s stupidity if he thinks he can achieve something with such a politically motivated case.”

The BRS leader said that the case was not a corruption case but a mere silly case only to tarnish his popularity in the state. He also stated that there was no corruption in the Formula-E case, as he had authorised the payment, which was acknowledged by the race organisers.

The investigating agency questioned him regarding noncompliance with the official procedure while entering an MoU with the UK based racing company and violation of rules in depositing money in the bank accounts of the company. They also asked him about his role in the release of funds without seeking the Finance department’s approval.

The ACB based this question on the statement of former MA&UD Secretary Arvind Kumar. The ACB also tried to focus on possible quid pro quo in the deal. Sources said that KTR had given clarifications to some administrative procedures followed in the release of funds.