Navy probing pay-off by US firm, says Antony

New Delhi, Oct 22 (PTI) The Navy has ordered a probe
into bribery allegations against its officers made in a letter
from Meera Shankar, the Indian Ambassador to US, to the Prime
Minister's Office, Defence Minister A K Antony said on
Thursday.
"I can assure you the government will take it (the
allegations) seriously. On the Navy's part, they have already
taken it seriously and have started investigation. We will not
ignore it," Antony told reporters on the sidelines of the
four-day Navy Commanders Conference that began here.
Refusing to comment more on Shankar's letter, the Defence
Minister said since it was addressed to someone else, he had
not seen or read it so far.
He, however, added that the allegations were not only
against the Navy officers, but also against seven other Indian
agencies.
Shankar's May 12 letter to Prime Minister's Principal
Secretary T K A Nair had alleged that an agent of US firm York
International Corporation had paid off Rs 61 lakh as bribe to
Navy officers between 2000 and 2006 for placing over 200
orders with the global heating and air conditioning firm.
The letter also talks about seven other Indian agencies
such as Maharashtra Electricity Board, Indian Railway and
Central Insecticides Board officials too having received
kickbacks from other US firms. PTI