CBI books DARE scientist, US firm for irregularities in procurement of radar components

Bengaluru: The CBI has booked a Defence Avionics Research Establishment (DARE) scientist and a US-based firm for alleged irregularities in the import of radar components worth about USD one million in 2009, officials said.

The agency registered the case after getting clearance to lodge FIR against Priya Suresh, a scientist then posted at DARE, Bengaluru, they said.

Besides her, the CBI has named AKON Inc based in California in the US in its FIR for allegedly sending incomplete equipment even after receiving payments for 35 VCO-based RF generators used in radar-based electronic warfare for USD one million (Rs 7.3 crore as per present exchange rates), they said.

It is alleged that the company was selected for supplying the equipment through a global tender and 90 percent of the payment was made in three tranches in February 2009, they said.

The CBI has alleged that she had accepted these 35 units even after having knowledge from AKON representatives through emails that these units were in the developmental stage, they said.

The agency, which did a preliminary enquiry into the matter before filing the FIR, found that 24 units were sent back for “upgrade” without stating the nature of upgrade, 11 remained in DARE store till 2011 unused and untested, they alleged.

She allegedly allowed balance payment to be made to AKON certifying that units were working satisfactorily knowing that 24 units are still with the USA-based vendor, they said.

In 2011, after ensuring payment to the vendor, the scientist recommended that 11 units held in store are not working at all and should be sent back to the vendor for repair, they said.

The CBI has alleged that even now only 13 units are held by DARE and the remaining are with AKON, it said.

The units supplied by the vendor did not meet the specifications of the order and their weight were approximately three times more than the dummy provided by it, they said.

Testing of VCO-based radar threat simulator could not be completed by a Bengaluru-based vendor even after full payment of Rs 9.5 lakh because of non-supply of the component by AKON, it said.