CBI court issues non-bailable arrest warrant against Trendl

Kochi, Feb 11 (PTI) A CBI special court today issued opennon-bailable arrest warrant against Klaus Trendl, former VicePresident of Canadian company SNC Lavalin, who is an accusedin a graft case relating to renovation of three hydel projectsin Kerala.

The agency informed the court that as per extraditiontreaty between India and Canada in exchanging criminals, theUnion Home ministry had taken measures to that effect.

Judge K P Jyothindranath observed that though arrestwarrants were issued by the court on earlier occasions, theyhad not been served on the accused.

The CBI counsel assured the court that since extraditionmeasures were underway, the investigating agency will take alleffective steps through the Home Ministry and Indian missionin Canada to give effect to the warrant.

The counsel told the court that fresh summons may beserved on the SNC Lavalin company, represented by its CEOs,through CBI and they would take all steps to serve it.

The company is the ninth accused in the case.

The court asked CBI to file application in this regardand adjourned the case to February 24.

The CBI counsel told the court that there is an Indianbranch of the company in New Delhi and that summons could beaddressed to this office.

The court then observed that though summons were sent tothe company by post to its New Delhi office, it could not beserved.

Crime magazine editor, T P Nandakumar, filed a petitionin the court seeking a direction to CBI to reinstate AshokKumar to conduct further inquiry in the case as directed by iton February 23 last year.

CBI DSP Ashok Kumar, who had enquired the case and filedcharge sheet, was shifted to Chennai.

Former Chairman of KSEB K Mohanachandran and T ASiddhartha Menon and Former Energy Secretary, A Francis,accused in the case, were present in court. Other accused,including CPI(M) State secretary, Pinarayi Vijayan , weregranted exemption from personal appearance.

The case relates to alleged corruption in awarding ofcontracts to SNC Lavalin for renovation of three hydelprojects in 1998, when Vijayan was the state Power minister.