NEW DELHI: Indian police on Friday brought formal charges against the Delhi Commonwealth Games chief for an alleged fraud involving a $31 million deal awarded to a Swiss firm for timekeeping equipment.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a 50-page charge sheet in a New Delhi court against Suresh Kalmadi and eight others for their role in handing the timing-scoring-result system contract to Swiss Timing.
The police allege the contract was inflated by $21 million.
"A charge sheet has been filed against nine accused including Kalmadi and five others belonging to the Commonwealth Games Organsing Committee," CBI spokeswoman Dharini Mishra told AFP.
"They have been charged with criminal conspiracy, forgery and abuse of power," Mishra said, but did not identify the remaining three people listed on the CBI charge sheet.
The agency has sought their prosecution under various anti-corruption laws on the grounds that they were party to criminal conspiracy and had forged documents, the Press Trust of India added.
The 66-year-old Kalmadi, who was arrested last month and is in prison, was previously accused by the CBI of "wrongfully restricting and eliminating competition" from other would-be Games suppliers of timekeeping equipment.
Swiss Timing, the Swiss firm involved, has denied any wrongdoing.
The event was meant to showcase India's status as an emerging global power, but the sporting headlines were stolen by venue delays, shoddy construction and budget overruns in which the event's cost tripled to at least $6 billion.
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