USA, 8 January- The Joe Biden administration has come under fire from Republican lawmaker Lance Gooden for looking into Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, saying it may cause tensions with important allies.
“What will the United States do if India refuses an extradition request?” Lance Gooden asked in a letter to US Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.
The congressman has asked for information about the justice department’s “selective actions” against foreign organizations, their effect on US economic growth and alliances, and any connections to George Soros (George Soros is an American investor and philanthropist).
In Frame: Gautam Adani
“The Department of Justice’s selective actions risk damaging critical alliances with key partners like India, one of America’s strongest allies in the Asia-Pacific region,” Gooden said in his letter dated January 7.
“Instead of pursuing cases with tenuous jurisdiction and limited relevance to the US interests, the Department of Justice should focus on punishing bad actors at home, rather than chasing rumors abroad,” he added.
According to the five-term Republican lawmaker, targeting organizations that invest tens of billions of dollars and generate tens of thousands of jobs for Americans will only hurt the US in the long run.
“When we forego real threats from violent crime, economic espionage, and CCP influence and go after those who contribute to our economic growth, it discourages valuable new investors who are hopeful of investing in our country,” he said.
“An unwelcome and politically charged atmosphere for investors will only stall efforts to revitalise America’s industrial base and economic growth, directly undermine President Trump’s commitment to revive the economy with increased investments.
To better serve the American people, he said, the department should collaborate with the incoming administration rather than squandering taxpayer funds on drawn-out, possibly politically motivated investigations in far-off nations.
“The allegations in the Adani case, even if proven true, would still fail to make us the appropriate and final arbiter on the issue. These ‘bribes’ were allegedly paid to Indian state government officials, in India, by Indian executives of an Indian company, with no concrete involvement of or injury to any American party,” Gooden wrote.
Allegations on Adani
Indian billionaire Gautam Adani has been charged by US prosecutors with being part of a scheme to bribe Indian officials with USD 265 million (roughly Rs 2,200 crore) in exchange for advantageous solar power contracts.
However, the Adani Group denied the accusations, claiming they were “baseless” and reaffirmed that the conglomerate complies with all legal requirements.
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