Hyderabad, Jan 9 (IANS): Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K. T. Rama Rao on Thursday appeared before the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in connection with the Formula-E race case.
Accompanied by his lawyer Ramachandra Rao, the former minister reached ACB headquarters in Banjara Hills around 10.10 a.m. amid tight security.
KTR is likely to be questioned on the basis of the statement given by Special Chief Secretary Arvind Kumar, who was quizzed by the ACB for six hours on Wednesday.
The investigating officials are likely to focus on KTR's role as then minister of Municipal Administration and Urban Development in signing the agreement to conduct the Formula-E race in 2023 when BRS was in power.
Arvind Kumar, then Special Chief Secretary of the said Department, was questioned on whose instructions he had issued orders to transfer the money to UK-based Formula-E Operations (FEO).
KTR, Arvind Kumar and former chief engineer of Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) BLN Reddy have been accused of transferring about Rs 55 crore in violation of rules to FEO for the second edition of the Formula-E race in Hyderabad.
The ACB last month registered an FIR against them for alleged irregularities in payment by HMDA to FEO and associated entities without adhering to established financial procedures.
The ACB had summoned KTR on January 6. He, however, returned from the ACB office after his lawyer was not allowed to be present during questioning.
KTR had submitted a letter to the ACB requesting it to defer his questioning till the Telangana High Court pronounces its order on his quash petition.
The ACB issued another notice to him the same day, directing him to appear before it on January 9. The High Court on Tuesday dismissed KTR's petition to quash the FIR. The court also refused to pass orders to ACB not to arrest him.
On a petition by KTR, the Telangana High Court on Wednesday allowed the presence of a lawyer during questioning. The court said a lawyer may be present at a visible distance from the accused during the questioning. The former minister was asked to submit the names of three lawyers. One of them was allowed to be present during the examination.