US bribery case: Goa water project director suspended

Panaji: The Goa government on Saturday suspended project director A Wachasunder who was heading the water augmentation and sewerage line project, which has run into a raging controversy over alleged bribery charges.

"I have directed that Wachasunder be placed under suspension for fair probe in the matter," chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar told reporters in state Capital Panaji.

The crime branch is investigating the alleged role of ministers who accepted bribes from Louis Berger to award consultancy contracts to the US company for water projects in Goa and Guwahati.

Parsekar said the crime branch is headed in a right direction in this investigation and will finish its preliminary report by next week.

Crime Branch officials, during the investigation, interrogated Wachasunder at its office on Saturday.

A senior official said that he might be placed under arrest, if required.

The police have already searched Wachasunder's offices. He is also heading the JICA project -- a Japanese-funded project executed by state public works department.