Satyam case: US accounts under lens

25 Jun, 2009

HYDERABAD: The CBI now investigating diversion of Satyam funds abroad have identified three "suspicious" foreign bank accounts in the US which are held in the name of three different individuals.
About Rs 60 crore belonging to Satyam were channelised into the accounts that stand in the name of these three non Indian persons.

When CBI sleuths questioned Ramalinga Raju and Rama Raju on these accounts they claimed that three foreign nationals were officially connected to Satyam and the money was deposited for business reasons.

But the CBI did not find these transactions reflected in Satyam's books and with the help of Interpol is now seeking to crack the details about these individuals. CBI sources also told that the agency has discovered several transactions made through Indian banks but has not been able to track details of end users of these funds.

What is proving difficult is that the movements took place on foreign soil where CBI has no presence. "We have to depend on Interpol and other international agencies. Its a long drawn out process but we have set it into motion," CBI sources said.
CBI also suspects that what has been discovered is only the tip of an iceberg and there might be many more such foreign accounts yet to be traced. Meanwhile, the local CBI court posted the matter pertaining to conducting of lie detector tests on Raju brothers to June 30 following request of counsel for Rajus who sought some more time to present their arguments in this case.