Unitech Wireless Denies Claims Of Criminal Conspiracy in Indian Telecom Scandal

Published on: 9th Aug 2011

­India's Unitech Wireless has denied claims by the country's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) that it had secured its mobile license by criminal methods as part of the 2008 telecom license scandal.

In court, the company's legal council called on the court to force the CBI to produce its evidence. The CBI has charged Unitech with cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy in connection with the scandal. The company has also been accused of colluding with the former telecom minister, A Raja to jump the queue and secure licenses before the deadline was brought forward.

Unitech Wireless legal counsel SS Gandhi said that allegations of advancing the cut-off date to favour the mobile network, giving mobile permits out of turn and giving spectrum despite unavailability, were "factually incorrect".

He also rubbished CBI's allegation that the company got licences in "favoured circles", saying "spectrum was given to us in the areas where sufficient spectrum was available".

Shortly after securing its licenses, Unitech Wireless sold a majority 67.25% stake in the company to Norway's Telenor. The Norwegian company recently had to put pressure on the company to dismiss its Chairman, Sanjay Chandra after he was arrested by the CBI.

On the web: Economic Times

 

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