Satyam scam probe is top priority: Salman Khurshid

The probe into the multi-crore Satyam accounting fraud was a "high priority" of the ministry, Union corporate affairs minister Salman Khurshid said today.

"Many people are asking for dates (on completion of investigation). It is difficult for us to pinpoint it... Because sometimes legal system takes its own time. All I can tell you is that for us it is a high priority and we will do it (probe) as quickly as possible to ensure all those who were part of the fraud are made accountable," he told reporters at the sidelines of a CII event here.

On January 7, 2009, Satyam Computer Services chairman Ramalinga Raju had admitted in a letter to Sebi that he had
falsified revenue and profits for many years and created
fictitious assets. He was arrested on January 9.

Besides him, his brother Rama Raju, the company's former CFO Vadlamani Srinivas and two partners of auditor Pricewaterhouse Coopers are also in jail. 

The nearly Rs 8,000 crore scam has become the subject of multiple probes by agencies like corporate affairs ministry's
Serious Fraud Investigation Office, accounting regulator ICAI
and Andhra Pradesh police, besides the CBI.