The A.P. Crime Investigation Department (CID) has claimed that it has found 13 signatures of former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in various documents pertaining to the “skill development scam,” wherein he had “violated the rules in the process of releasing ₹371-crore funds to DesignTech.”
Addressing the media here on September 13 (Wednesday), N. Sanjay, CID Additional Director General, said that “investigation is in progress” and that they had “primary evidence” against Mr. Naidu.
Mr. Naidu is currently lodged in the Rajahmundry Central Prison following his judicial remand by the ACB Court in Vijayawada on September 10.
“A few individuals are misleading the facts. Mr. Naidu has become an accused only during the course of investigation. We have gathered primary evidences against him,” Mr. Sanjay said.
Referring to the role of former IAS officers L. Prema Chandra Reddy and Ajeya Kallam Reddy in the scam, Mr. Sanjay said that they had not committed any crime. They had, in fact, opposed the “violations” in the procedure adopted by the former Chief Minister in giving approval for the release of funds.
We found them in the note files of Government Orders and other documents, he said, and added that the two officials worked “under pressure.”
Mr. Sanjay reiterated that the A.P. Skill Development Corporation had been constituted and money transferred to private companies without following the procedure.
Out of the ₹371 crore released by the government, only ₹58 crore was spent on purchasing the software, he said. The remaining amount was diverted to various shell companies by using fake invoices, he alleged.
The private companies too had not contributed their share of 90% of the project cost, the CID officer alleged.
Mr. Sanjay said that as per the tripartite agreement entered into by the A.P. Skill Development Corporation, the companies had to release 90% towards their share prior to the government releasing its share of the cost.
“There are many violations and they will be established during the course of investigation,” he said.
“Investigation is in progress in respect of the Amaravati Inner Ring Road alignment, Fibernet and other cases too,” he said.
