Freedom Tower concrete testing company indicted

NEW YORK - A company that tests concrete at New York City construction projects has been indicted on racketeering charges, though officials point out that the material used at two of its well-known projects — Yankee Stadium and the Freedom Tower skyscraper at ground zero — have passed strength tests.

Testwell Laboratories, its president and about a dozen other company officials were charged mainly with enterprise corruption, the state's version of racketeering, attorney Martin Adelman said.

Manhattan prosecutors also filed a temporary restraining order that prevents forfeiture of company property or assets.

They have been investigating charges for months that Testwell falsified test results for projects or billed companies for tests it never did, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because the indictment had not been released publicly.

The owners of the Freedom Tower and the Yankees have said that concrete at their projects passed strength tests. The city has begun retesting concrete at various construction sites but has not announced its results.

"Testwell is disappointed that the district attorney's office has decided to bring these charges," Adelman said. "While we cannot comment on the indictment because we haven't seen it yet, the company intends to vigorously defend itself. The company looks forward to restoring its reputation and vindicating itself."

David Smith, an attorney for company president V. Reddy Kancharla, said that he was unaware of the exact charges against his client, but that "whatever the charges may be, Mr. Kancharla will be entering a plea of not guilty and vigorously defending against them."

An independent monitor for the Yankees this year reported to prosecutors that Testwell wasn't doing tests in which concrete is poured in a bucket and turned over to see if it remained steady.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey also reported irregularities in some Testwell's results in early 2006, when construction began on the 1,776-foot skyscraper being built at the World Trade Center site.

The Yankees and the Port Authority declined to comment Wednesday. A call seeking comment from the Manhattan district attorney's office was not returned Wednesday.

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Associated Press writer Samuel Maull contributed to this report.

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