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Words in the News

13th April 2011
India 'telecoms scam' goes to court

India's former telecoms minister has appeared in court over allegations of an almost $40
billion fraud. He is charged with accepting bribes in return for selling mobile phone licences
for much less than they were actually worth. Sanjoy Majumder reports:

Andimuthu Raja and seven others, including two former bureaucrats, will be produced in a
special court, which is expected to hold daily hearings, in one of the most high-profile trials in
India. He's been charged with conspiracy, forgery and abuse of power. If convicted, he
faces seven years in prison.

Mr Raja is accused of selling second-generation mobile phone licenses in 2008, at a fraction

of their real value, an action estimated to have cost the government nearly $40 billion in lost
revenue. He was forced to resign from the government and was arrested in February, and has
been in prison since.

The telecom scam has badly damaged the reputation of the government, which has been hit
by a series of corruption scandals. Last week, wide public protests, led by an anti-corruption
crusader, forced it to begin proceedings to strengthen India's anti-graft laws.

Sanjoy Majumder, BBC News, Delhi

Words in the News British Broadcasting Corporation 2011

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Vocabulary and definitions

bureaucrats officials who work for governments or other large

organisations and follow rules very strictly

conspiracy planning to carry out illegal activities

forgery production of false or fake copies of something valuable

(e.g. money or documents)

abuse of power taking advantage of a position of authority in a selfish way

a fraction of a small amount of

lost revenue money which could have been earned

scam illegal or dishonest scheme for making money

hit by badly affected by

proceedings an organised series of events or actions

anti-graft laws regulations preventing powerful people from obtaining

money dishonestly

More on this story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13058873

Read and listen to the story and the vocabulary online:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2011/04/110413_witn_phone_corruption_page.shtml

Words in the News British Broadcasting Corporation 2011

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