AN INDIAN court on Thursday (March 6) opened a trial into charges that sports timing company Swiss Timing caused losses to the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games by supplying equipment at exorbitant rates, a report said.
Judge Ravinder Kaur in New Delhi said there was “incriminating material” linking the Olympics timer to alleged kickbacks in a contract it won for the Games, a report said.
A police charge sheet framed in 2010 accused Swiss Timing and its partners of causing “a wrongful loss of 956 million rupees” ($17.5m/£11.67m).
Swiss Timing, which has been an official time-keeper and results provider for the Olympics since 1976, has rejected the allegations.
The judge named three senior company executives then linked to the Indian contract and asked state prosecutors to ensure their “presence before the court” on May 28.
“There is ample incriminating material on record which clearly reflects motive on the part of these three persons who entered into criminal conspiracy on behalf of Swiss Timing with other (Indian) accused persons,” Kaur said.
“I am of the view that all these three persons are concerned with commission of offence in the present case and are thus liable to be prosecuted,” the judge said.
The Switzerland-based firm when contacted by reporters said two of the three named officials were no longer with Swiss Timing.
Police have also charged several Indian officials including then Games chairman Suresh Kalmadi with criminal conspiracy, cheating and corruption.
Kalmadi has served a term in prison in connection with the corruption charges.
The Delhi Games lost their sheen as the sporting headlines were stolen by venue delays, shoddy construction and budget overruns in which costs tripled to $6bn (£4bn).
