WEDNESDAY | NOVEMBER 09,
ABHIMANYU SINGH NEW DELHI | 6th Nov
Accenture Services, one of three companies responsible for the implementation of biometric solutions for India's Unique Identification programme, has paid $63.7 million to the American government to settle a case involving charges of accepting bribes and delays over budgeting and manipulating bids with regard to government contracts.
A man looks through an optical biometric reader during registration
for Unique Identification cards in Amritsar in May. AFP
The lawsuit was filed in 2004 in the District Court of Arkansas. Two whistleblowers, Norman Rille and Neal Roberts, alleged that several IT companies, including Accenture Services, received kickbacks in the form of rebates to receive preferential treatment in the award of government contracts. They were advising the US government on which products provided by different IT companies they should use.
The Department of Justice, which became a party to the lawsuit in 2007, said in a press statement, "Kickbacks and bid rigging undermine the integrity of the federal procurement process. At a time when we're looking for ways to reduce our public spending, it is especially important to ensure that government contractors play by the rules and don't waste precious taxpayer dollars."
However, Accenture denied allegations of malpractice in a press statement, claiming that the American government was well aware of "alliance relationships in the IT industry and how they would benefit customers, vendors and the IT industry".
In the past, American agencies have terminated contracts with the company over performance related issues.
This newspaper sent a questionnaire to Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) chairperson Nandan Nilekani, but he is yet to reply.
Karnataka High Court lawyer, Venkatesh Bubberjung has sent a legal notice to the UIDAI and the Indian government on this matter. "The UID is a process that reeks of corruption wherein already huge amounts are siphoned off by persons and organisations of dubious antecedents. (The process involves) huge international contracts that are illegal and entered into with organisations that are known for fraudulent practices," he said.
Accenture has awarded the contract for the purchase of biometric authentication devices to Sagem Morpho Security Pvt Ltd. A group called Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties (CFCL) has claimed that Sagem Morpho was given the contract because its parent company, Morpho (the Safran group) sponsored the ID World International Congress in Italy last year where Nilekani was given the ID Limelight Award. Morpho (Safran group) is a French multinational corporation specialising in ID credentials solutions.
The Department of Justice, which became a party to the lawsuit in 2007, said in a press statement, "Kickbacks and bid rigging undermine the integrity of the federal procurement process. At a time when we're looking for ways to reduce our public spending, it is especially important to ensure that government contractors play by the rules and don't waste precious taxpayer dollars."
However, Accenture denied allegations of malpractice in a press statement, claiming that the American government was well aware of "alliance relationships in the IT industry and how they would benefit customers, vendors and the IT industry".
In the past, American agencies have terminated contracts with the company over performance related issues.
This newspaper sent a questionnaire to Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) chairperson Nandan Nilekani, but he is yet to reply.
Karnataka High Court lawyer, Venkatesh Bubberjung has sent a legal notice to the UIDAI and the Indian government on this matter. "The UID is a process that reeks of corruption wherein already huge amounts are siphoned off by persons and organisations of dubious antecedents. (The process involves) huge international contracts that are illegal and entered into with organisations that are known for fraudulent practices," he said.
Accenture has awarded the contract for the purchase of biometric authentication devices to Sagem Morpho Security Pvt Ltd. A group called Citizens Forum for Civil Liberties (CFCL) has claimed that Sagem Morpho was given the contract because its parent company, Morpho (the Safran group) sponsored the ID World International Congress in Italy last year where Nilekani was given the ID Limelight Award. Morpho (Safran group) is a French multinational corporation specialising in ID credentials solutions.
An RTI application filed by CFCL revealed that companies are awarded UID contracts based on three criteria: First, the company should have a registered office in India. Second, if that is not the case, it should have a branch office, representative office, sales office or an office of its subsidiary company in India. Third, if these two conditions are not met, the company should submit an undertaking that it would have an office in India in the future.
Venkatesh Bubberjung is planning to file a civil suit against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Montek Singh Ahluwalia, in their respective capacities as the chairperson and deputy chairperson of the Planning Commission and against Nandan Nilekani, who is the chairperson of the Unique Identity Authority of India. "On behalf of my client who is a retired defence scientist, I am filing a civil suit against Chairperson UIDAI, Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of Planning Commission of India for initiating Aadhaar Project that is illegal, unlawful, (and) against the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution," said Bubberjung.
Venkatesh Bubberjung is planning to file a civil suit against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Montek Singh Ahluwalia, in their respective capacities as the chairperson and deputy chairperson of the Planning Commission and against Nandan Nilekani, who is the chairperson of the Unique Identity Authority of India. "On behalf of my client who is a retired defence scientist, I am filing a civil suit against Chairperson UIDAI, Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of Planning Commission of India for initiating Aadhaar Project that is illegal, unlawful, (and) against the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution," said Bubberjung.