Media owner floated dodgy ad agency

BHUBANESWAR: CBI inquiry into Artha Tatwa (AT) Group scam revealed media entrepreneur Bikash Swain, who was arrested last week, floated the controversial advertising agency in which Pradeep Sethy invested Rs 1.65 crore. On Saturday, Sethy had told the media that some ruling party leaders were promoting the agency.
"Swain collected the money from Sethy and set up the advertising agency three years ago.Swain's wife is still a director of the company. Sethy's allegation of political patronage to the agency is being investigated," said a CBI officer.
Hours after Sethy's revelation, another director of the agency tendered his resignation. "We do not know why he resigned. We are employees and have no idea whether the agency had any link in the AT scam," said the agency's branch head Hitosh Kumar Pattnaik.
Among the advertising agency's clients are several government departments, dodgy Ponzi firms, AT Group, Seashore Group and Swain's vernacular newspaper.
On Monday, Sethy was produced in a CBI court outside which he reiterated involvement of some political persons. "I have produced enough evidence against those politicians. Some builders and businessmen too got benefits from me," said Sethy.