Sports ministry knew about purchases for CWG: Kalmadi

New Delhi: Former Commonwealth Games (CWG) Organising Committee (OC) chairman Suresh Kalmadi Monday told a Delhi court hearing a graft case that the youth affairs and sports ministry was aware of purchases made for the 2010 sporting event.

"Everything related to the Games was brought to the notice of youth affairs and sports ministry," said Kalmadi, while opposing charges levelled against him by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

He said that he had only given recommendations for buying the timing, scoring and result (TSR) system for the Games and was not involved in its purchase.

Kalmadi's counsel Harshad Ponda told CBI Special Judge Talwant Singh that being the chairman of the committee his client had asked various committees to take decisions on the procurement of equipments for the Games.

He earlier said that Swiss Timing was held to be the best and reliable TSR system by various committees, consisting of senior government officials and members of the national and international federations.

The CBI in its first charge sheet in the case against Kalmadi and 10 others described him as a prime accused and the mastermind in the corruption case related to financial irregularities in awarding the Rs.141 crore contract for a scoring system.

The accused officials and two companies were charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code for cheating, criminal conspiracy and forgery and under the Prevention of Corruption Act. (IANS)