Goa Cricket Association Officials Siphon Off Money From BCCI Grants, Caught

Panaji: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Goa has attached properties worth Rs. 4.13 crore of top former officials of the Goa Cricket Association, who had siphoned off the money from BCCI grants in 2006-07, the agency said on Monday.

In a statement issued here, the ED unit in Goa also alleged that more than half of the Rs. 6.95 crore which was transferred by the BCCI to the Goa Cricket Association, had been siphoned off by three former officials Dayanand Narvekar (former president), Vinod Phalke (former secretary), Chetan Desai (committee member) and Akbar Mulla (former treasurer) by using fake bank accounts in which the money was deposited and later withdrawn.

Narvekar has formerly served as the state's deputy Chief Minister and Speaker of the Goa legislative assembly. "Existence of these grants and the new bank accounts was neither disclosed in the monthly meeting/annual general body meeting nor mentioned in the balance sheet of GCA. Thereafter, the money so deposited would be withdrawn in cash using bearer cheques in name of fictitious persons," the statement issued by the ED said.

The grants were issued by the Board of Control for Cricket in India for the creation of cricket infrastructure and purchase of cricket-related equipment like lawn mowers, bowling machines, cricket pitch cover, ground rollers and other items.

IANS