The report does not contain the names of politicians alleged to be a part of the liquor syndicate.
The state government, on Friday, finally came out with an official statement on the multi-crore liquor scam.
However, the government skipped the names of the politicians who are allegedly part of the liquor syndicate worth several thousands crores.
Further, the statement was read out not by instead of Prohibition & Excise Minister Mopidevi Venkata Ramana, but by Agriculture Minister Kanna Laxkshminarayana, on the floor of the state Legislative Assembly.
This was apparently done in the wake of allegations that Mopidevi has been facing that he himself was in receipt of bribes from the liquor syndicate.
Kanna Lakshminarayana said that the link to the multi-crore scam was found during a surprise check conducted by the Anti-Corruption Bureau in Karimnagar on 13 December last year. The ACB officials had intercepted a Tata Victa belonging to the officials of the Excise Department, and had found unaccounted cash of Rs. 3.62 lakh.
Further investigations revealed that the money was collected illegally by the Excise officials who were part of the State-Level Task Force, Hyderabad, and that the illegal amount was collected from owners of some wine shops of Karimnagar, who had made up a syndicate.
During the investigation, it was further revealed that such illegal collections were taking place in other parts of the state, too.
In just 4 days, the ACB officials busted 34 syndicate offices in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur, Nellore, Prakasam, Kurnool, Chittoor, Kadapa, Nalgonda, Khammam, Warangal, Karimangar, Nizambad, Medak, Adilabad, Mahbubnagar, Ranga Reddy and Hyderabad city.
An analysis of the documents seized during the raids revealed that the licensed owners of wine shops/bars across the state formed a cartel of with designated leaders.
Their sole aim was to make huge profits by selling liquor at rates over and above Maximum Retail Prices. The leaders of syndicates would collect money from the members of the syndicate to bribe various public servants.
The ACB conducted the searches in syndicate offices covering about 350 licensed wine shops, as against 6,596 licensed wine shops present in AP.
After data was compiled and analysed, the ACB registered 23 cases under various sections. Searches were conducted in at least 12 districts, between 27 January and 8 February.
The minister said that the ACB had focused on the independent evidence on "individuals and officials involved in serious criminal misconduct", and "officials who were totally involved in arranging finance for the liquor syndicates in addition to accepting bribes/mamools on a recurrent basis from the liquor syndicates".
Lakshminarayana said that so far, 20 syndicate members, 14 accountants and clerks, and 8 Excise officials have been arrested for various offences.
24 bail petitions filed by the arrested accused persons have been dismissed by the Special Courts, while 47 anticipatory bail petitions and 2 quash petitions filed by the absconding accused were also dismissed.
However, the ACB Court, Visakhapatnam, has granted conditional bail to 4 accused.
"Upon the completion of the investigation by the ACB, the state government will take firm action against all the individuals - officials and non-officials - irrespective of their levels or party affiliations," Lakshminarayana claimed, adding that the government was "fully committed to honesty, transparency and public interest".
Further, the minister said that the state government would frame a new Excise Policy by "analysing the information ascertained out of the present raids, taking everyone's advice, to minimise violations." (INN)