Chargesheet Filed Against Former Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu in Fibernet Scam

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Criminal Investigation Department (CBCID), Andhra Pradesh, has filed a chargesheet in the AP Fibernet Phase-1 Project Scam, naming former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu as the main accused. The chargesheet, presented in the Court of Special Judge for SPE & ACB cases, outlines Chandrababu Naidu's alleged involvement in several irregularities surrounding the Fibernet Phase-1 project.

According to the chargesheet, Naidu, during his tenure as Chief Minister, recommended the execution of the fibernet project by the Energy, Infrastructure, and Investment Department instead of the IT Department. 

Naidu also purportedly facilitated the appointment of Vemuri Harikrishna Prasad, despite his criminal background, to key positions within the project's governance structure.

Furthermore, Naidu is accused of approving project estimates without conducting a market survey, pressuring government officials to favor certain bidders, including revoking blacklisting against M/s Terasoftware Pvt Ltd, and manipulating tender processes to award contracts to favored companies.

The chargesheet implicates other individuals as well, including Vemuri Harikrishna Prasad and Koganti Sambasiva Rao, for their roles in manipulating the tender process and causing substantial losses to the government exchequer. The scam, involving the alleged flouting of rules and manipulation of tender processes, resulted in significant financial losses, with approximately Rs 114 crore embezzled from government funds.

This marks the third case in which Naidu has been named as an accused. 

What is the Fibernet scam?

Fibernet scam is a case of alleged manipulation of the tender process to allot the work order for the Phase-1 of the AP fibernet Project of Rs 330 cr to a favored company, by flouting the rules and manipulating the tender process.

The tender was awarded to Terasoftware by silencing the protests from other bidders such as Pace Power.

CID alleged that several irregularities took place from the allotting of tender till completion of the total project causing huge loss to the government exchequer.

Owing to the use of substandard material, violating the conditions and non-adherence to the specifications mentioned in RFP while executing the project, nearly 80% of the capacity of the Optic Fiber Cable was rendered unusable.