BCCI blames Modi for FEMA violations in IPL

New Delhi, Jan 12 (PTI) Under fire over allegations offoreign exchange violations in IPL, BCCI''s top officials todayblamed sacked Commissioner Lalit Modi for "mistakes" as theytold a Parliamentary panel that they had given approvals athis behest in "good faith".

BCCI President Shashank Manohar, Secretary N Srinivasanand IPL Chairman Chirayu Amin were quizzed by theParliamentary Standing Committee on Finance for abouttwo-and-a-half hours about the alleged FEMA violations.

The BCCI was asked about the funding pattern of thehighly popular IPL and the methods adopted for payment toforeign and Indian players.

The Committee also sought details of the expensesincurred on the conduct of the second edition of the Twenty20tournament in South Africa in 2009.

The IPL was held in the African nation in 2009 due to aclash of dates with the general elections in India.

Making a case of FEMA violation against the BCCI, theCommittee said the Board had not taken permission from RBIand Income Tax Department for opening and operating foreigncurrent account in South Africa.

It said opening and operating of the account through anexplicit agreement with the Cricket South Africa (CSA) couldbe construed as FEMA violation as the operations of theaccount were controlled by BCCI.

Amin did not take questions from reporters after thehearing but sources say BCCI while replying to the queriessaid that it was not aware that by opening an account in SouthAfrica it was actually indulging in FEMA violations.

They admitted that some mistakes were made, said asource.

Some of the officials are also believed to have told theCommittee that certain transactions were done by Modi and theyapproved those in "good faith", the source added.

The Committee also asked how much money was credited intothe CSA account and who did it?. More PTI NAB AT AKK VMN