Delhi Commonwealth Games officials set for corruption trial

Former Delhi Commonwealth Games Chairman Suresh Kalmadi was among 10 senior officials put on trial on Monday in a corruption case relating to a controversial contract awarded during New Delhi's preparations for the 2010 event.

The case concerns a tender won by the Swiss Timing group for the timing, scoring and results equipment for the 2010 Games. The contract cost US$29.4 million, but it later emerged that a bid worth $11.6 million from Spanish firm MSL was rejected by the Kalmadi-led organising committee. The accused face charges of criminal conspiracy, forgery, cheating and other offences in the trial at a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court.

Along with former politician and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Kalmadi, high-ranking sports officials Lalit Bhanot and VK Verma are also standing trial.

Bhanot recently found himself in fresh controversy by contesting and winning an IOA election that has since not been recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). He served as Delhi 2010's Secretary General, while Verma was Director General.

The Times of India reports that Special CBI Judge Ravinder Kaur framed charges under the penal code and Prevention of Corruption Act for "illegally" awarding the contract for the 2010 Games to Swiss Timing at an inflated rate while the lower priced competitor was unfairly eliminated.

Kalmadi faces trial for criminal misconduct for his role as Chairman of Delhi 2010, with the newspaper adding the CBI has established a money trail through evidence gathered from former officials, who helped the agency argue that the decision to award the contract to Swiss Timing was premeditated. The 10 accused have been charged under various sections of the penal code, including forgery of a valuable security, which carries life imprisonment as a maximum punishment.

Recording of evidence is scheduled to begin in the case on 20th February.

In the wake of Delhi's Games a state audit report slammed preparations for the event, criticising organisers and legislators for a lack of due diligence. The Comptroller and Auditor General report, presented to the Indian parliament, revealed that the final cost of the Games was 16 times the original estimate of $270 million.

Auditors also stated that the organising committee was "deeply flawed, riddled with favouritism and bias" and added that "appropriate due diligence was conspicuously absent at all levels". According to the report, the Games cost $4.1 billion to organise while the revenue generated from the event was only $38 million.