MiD DAY brings you exclusive extracts from the suspended IPL commissioner's reply to board's showcause notice
MiD DAY brings you exclusive extracts from the suspended IPL commissioner's reply to board's showcause notice
In his caustic reply to the Board of Control for Cricket in India, suspended Indian Premier League chief Lalit Modi has stressed that even terrorists get a trial.
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| Final Night: Lalit Modi during the 2010 Indian Premier League Twenty20 final between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings at the D Y Patil Stadium on April 25. PIC/GETTY IMAGES |
Modi, who was suspended on the night of the IPL final on April 25, in his response takes on the BCCI saying that he has been accused and pronounced guilty without a hearing and a fair trial. Even terrorists, he claims, are given the benefit of a trial where witnesses are produced. He adds here that, "The refusal to identify those who have levelled charges is absurd and you know it. Even in the trial of terrorists, witnesses are produced during the course of the trial ufffd only in rare cases ufffd with a changed identity."
The first showcause notice primarily dealt with financial misdemeanours and Modi has issued a riposte that all contracts were carefully vetted by BCCI's legal advisor and ratified by Governing Council members. Modi says, "Contracts were executed for matters on which previous budgetary approvals, for the concerned item had already been obtained from the Governing Council. In other words, the Governing Council would have already pre-approved the financial outlay/exposure/involvement in the contract."
He adds that in a few isolated cases which pertained to items that were not pre-approved, those contracts were ratified in the general body meetings. He then goes on to give the example of the South African IPL contract and expenses which was ratified by the AGM.u00a0 Modi in his reply writes, "Any agreement or contract which inadvertently escaped approval or ratification would be noticed by the auditors of the IPL. These would be marked up in the Audit Report which would then go to the Governing Council for ratification."
He says, "I did not sign the cheques nor did I have the final approval on the expenses." Modi reveals that he did not have any financial authority and could not sign on cheques, rather the board secretary N Srinivasan insisted that all financial authority was vested in him including approval of expenses.
Modi says that the board secretary ensured and insisted on having complete financial control and everything be routed through him before going to the treasurer for cheque payment. Even the contentious IMG contract was also ratified by the IPL Governing Council meeting on October 18, 2007.
No proxy stakesOn the accusation of being owner of proxy stakes in three franchises, Modi rubbished all such claims by saying that he does not have a proxy stake in Kolkata, Jaipur or Mohali franchises. About his network of family and friends, Modi states that his relationship with Suresh Chellaram, Mohit and Gaurav Burman are a matter of public knowledge and the BCCI and IPL have been aware of this all along.
He then says that most BCCI satraps attended the engagement and nuptials of Gaurav Burman to his step daughter on March 6 and 7, 2006 in New Delhi. Heu00a0 goes on to give an exposition of how financially secure Suresh Chellaram and the two Burman brothers are, independent of their relationship with him ufffd men of considerable means with substantial resources of their own. He reproduces a missive written byu00a0 Srinivasan to then president Sharad Pawar on December 29, 2007 where the India Cements owner says, "I am advised that my position as Hon Treasurer will not in any way affect or preclude The India Cements Ltd from bidding, participating and being a franchise as the India Cements Company is a separate legal entity and the decisions of the company are made by a board of directors and not by me in an individual capacity."
Modi then goes on to slam Srinivasan for practising double standards.
