White House Press secretary expressed confidence that India and the US could navigate the issue without compromising their robust partnership.
Clarion India
NEW DELHI — After the indictment of Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, chairman of Adani Group by New York over his role in an alleged multibillion-dollar bribery and fraud scheme on Thursday, the White House said it is aware of the allegations against Indian billionaire.
US prosecutors said Gautam Adani and seven other defendants, including his nephew Sagar Adani, agreed to pay about $265 million in bribes to Indian government officials to obtain contracts expected to yield $2 billion of profit over 20 years, and develop India’s largest solar power plant project.
The Adani Group strongly refuted bribery allegations made by the US Department of Justice and the US Securities and Exchange Commission against directors of the Adani Green terming them baseless, while government officials haven’t commented so far.
However, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, addressing reporters during her daily briefing, has expressed confidence that Indian and the US could navigate the issue without compromising their robust partnership.
“So, Obviously, we’re aware of these allegations, and I would have to refer you to the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) and DOJ (Department of Justice) about the specifics of those – of those allegations against the Adani Group,” she said, according to media reports emerged on Friday.
Asserting that the relationship between India and the US is built on a strong foundation, the White House spokesperson has expressed confidence that the US can navigate the ongoing crisis surrounding bribery charges against Gautam Adani.
“What I will say is on the US and India relationship, we believe that it stands on an extremely strong foundation anchored in ties between our people and cooperation across a full range of global issues,” she said.
She further expressed confidence in the ability of the two nations to navigate the situation. — With inputs from agencies
