B P Acharya, the IAS officer in the eye of the storm over the Emaar scam, has said he has been made a scapegoat by the current investigation, and referred to ‘real culprits’ who are being protected by vested interests.In an exclusive interview with Express, the officer, during whose tenure as managing director of the AP Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) some key decisions were taken in the deal, said he regrets the day he was posted to the corporation, but expressed faith that he would emerge vindicated.Acharya said the writ petition filed by minister P Shankar Rao, which formed the basis for the CBI’s investigation of the Emaar deal, is full of factual errors.Excerpts:You say you had no role in the alleged irregularities in the Emaar deal. Are you clean?I am absolutely clean and I will prove my innocence in the court of law. I am being made a scapegoat by some vested interests who are trying to protect the real culprits. I will come out vindicated.Do you feel you are being singled out in the probe?I am hopeful that the CBI will conduct an impartial investigation. The petition is factually incorrect. The development agreement with Emaar MGF pertains to the construction of apartments, the marketing agreement of which was signed with M/s Stylish Homes in January 2005, much before my joining APIIC in May 2005. As for the reduction in APIIC’s equity from 26 per cent to 6.5 per cent, that’s simply not true. APIIC’s equity even after the development agreement with Emaar MGF continued to be 26 per cent and there was no reduction. The alleged reduced equity of 6.5 per cent has been arrived at by a dubious calculation, based on figments of imagination.What about the enquiry by Vigilance & Enforcement?The enquiry was taken up suo motu based on a newspaper report. No opportunity was given to me to explain my stand. It was totally a one-sided enquiry. Even the FIR by the CBI is based on glaring factual errors. You claim to be innocent. But will anyone believe you? Nothing incriminating has been found against me contrary to the fabricated and false campaign launched by a section of the media. I suspect that some vested interests are spreading all sorts of false stories against me to save the real culprit. I have faith in god and will come out vindicated.Do you feel the need for CBI to enquire into the role of everyone else involved in taking the decision pertaining to the Emaar deal?It’s for the CBI to decide but I am hopeful that the CBI will conduct an impartial probe.There is speculation that during your questioning by the CBI you said that the probe should also cover the TDP regime as well, as it was in TDP’s period that the deal was struck.I do not want to get into political crossfire. I did not tell CBI anything like that.Do you feel victimised going by the speculation that you simply carried out the instructions of political bosses?I did not compromise on my principles anywhere, even if someone wanted me to. I always upheld my principles and will do nothing against my conscience. I do my work only when everything related to it is clear. My family and I are in trauma since last one year ever since the smear campaign began against me.What did the CBI gather from your residence? during the searches?Except for some documents, nothing was seized. The officials saw the almirah where there were some gold ornaments given to me during my marriage. That is all.The country is excited about the movement launched by Anna Hazare. What is your take?There is a need for the system to be cleansed and I am for a clean system and the people deserve it. Since I am a government servant, I cannot say which kind of Lokpal I support, but yes corruption is something which needs to be controlled.There is speculation that you may be arrested any moment now.What are your plans?I cannot speculate on that but I will vindicate myself. I will see how to defend myself in the court. I will fight it out legally and emerge clean.Are you under tension and pressure following the CBI probe?For the last one year, all lies against me are being circulated. Natuarally, I am tense and so is my family.Do you regret having a stint as MD of APIIC?Yes, I do regret it. When I joined APIIC, the turnover was `125 crore and when I left it, it was `5,000 crore. I took several proactive steps to ensure that the corporation does well. And this is what I get in return. I am being painted as a villain. In fact, I am the one who protected government lands (gives example of the 420 acres of land in Rayadurgam worth over `10,000 crore, which he says, many tried to grab it, but he fought it in the court personally to protect the land). The allegation against you is that you conspired with others?I could not have been part of the conspiracy as I was not even there (referring to the Stylish Homes deal). I cannot be held liable for something that happened without my knowledge.
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