US agrees to help in Louis Berger case

GUWAHATI: The US Department of Justice has agreed to cooperate with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Assam police probing the Louis Berger bribery case.
The CID had registered a case in 2015 following a complaint from one Bhaben Handique and two others. The case here was registered after the American company pleaded guilty before a New Jersey court of paying bribes in Assam and Goa to obtain contracts as consultants of water supply projects.
Taking up a PIL that alleges that the probe in the case has been slow, the Gauhati High Court on Friday directed the CID to submit the status and feasibility of a video conference with the Department of Justice in the US within four weeks.
Earlier, the CID of Assam Police submitted before the Gauhati High Court that the US Department of Justice had agreed to cooperate with the CID investigation here and also engage in video conferencing for the purpose.
In an affidavit filed by the Special Superintendent of Police of the CID before the court here, the CID said it was in touch with the International Police Cooperation Cell of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to facilitate a video talk conference with the US Department of Justice.
The investigating agency further informed the court that Washington DC had earlier agreed to share the relevant information with them (CID) and also requested to arrange an initial video talk.