The Adani Group bribery case, filed in the United States, has unveiled the name of an Andhra Pradesh government official labeled as 'Foreign Officer #1'. This revelation has sparked widespread intrigue—just who is this individual? Prosecutors reveal that between 2020 and 2024, the Adani Group allegedly handed over Rs 2,029 crores ($265 million) to Indian government officials, of which Rs 1,750 crores went to this 'Foreign Officer #1'.
Details from the Charge Sheet...
The U.S. charge sheet mentions that 'Foreign Officer #1' is a citizen of India. This individual was serving as a high-ranking government official in Andhra Pradesh from May 2019 to June 2024. However, the court documents stop short of revealing the identity of 'Foreign Officer #1'.
Allegedly, in 2020, Adani Green Energy and another power company secured a contract to supply 12GW of solar energy from the government-owned Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). SECI, however, struggled to find buyers for the electricity. Sensing a potential jeopardy for the deal, the Adani Group decided to bribe government officials to persuade state power distribution companies (DISCOMs) to purchase electricity from SECI.
Here, the role of 'Foreign Officer #1' comes into play. The American indictment claims that the Adani Group bribed this individual to the tune of $228 million, in return for which Andhra Pradesh's electricity suppliers agreed to procure 7GW of solar energy from SECI, marking a historical high for any state’s solar energy purchase deal.
This case traces back to 2021, when Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSR Congress Party was in power in Andhra Pradesh, having bested Chandrababu Naidu's government in the 2019 assembly elections.
Adani's Meetings with the Officer
Prosecutors have also highlighted that Adani had several personal meetings with 'Foreign Officer #1' in 2021. These meetings occurred on August 7, September 12, and November 20, 2021. Subsequent to these meetings, Andhra Pradesh’s power distribution companies inked a Power Sale Agreement (PSA) with SECI, agreeing to purchase 7GW of solar energy.
Moreover, three other states (Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha) and the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir signed solar energy agreements with SECI between July 2021 and February 2022.
