India suspends transaction with American subsidiary arms suppliers
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
New Delhi, Aug 21, IRNA -- The Home Ministry has served show cause notices to two foreign arms vendors following allegations of their bribing officials and ordered suspension of all transactions with them.
The American subsidiary of Swiss firm M/s Sig Sauer, known for manufacturing rifles with sophisticated designs, exceptional accuracy and reliability, and another Swiss small arms manufecturer M/s San Swiss Arms AG were served with the notices.
'We have ordered suspension of all transactions with the two foreign arms vendors,' a senior Home Ministry official said, pti reported. According to a preliminary investigation, the two companies tried to bribe some officials involved in procuring arms and ammunition for paramilitary forces.
The Home Ministry had earlier blacklisted six firms -- four of whom are foreign -- and banned business dealings with them after its vigilance cell recommended it.
The six vendors were already blacklisted by the Ministry of Defence following a recommendation of CBI in connection with the Ordnance Factory Board scam.
The blacklisted international firms are: M/s Singapore Technologies Kinetics Ltd, M/s Israel Military Industries Ltd, M/s Rheinmetall Air Defence, Zurch and M/s Corporation Defence, Russia.
Two Indian firms are M/s T.S. Kisan & Co. Pvt Ltd, New Delhi and M/s R.K. Machine Tools Ltd, Ludhiana.
In 2010, CBI had filed a 2,700-page charge-sheet in a special CBI court in Kolkata against former director general of Ordnance factory Board, Sudipta Ghosh, and 11 others in connection with the Ordnance Factory Board scam.
It was alleged that Ghosh had entered into a criminal conspiracy with other accused with the object of demanding and obtaining huge illegal gratification in the matter of various supply orders placed by Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and also in the matters relating to transfer or posting of the officers of Ordnance Factories.
The case is still being tried at the special CBI court in Kolkata.
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