City Public Works Director says helping FBI in bribery case cost him his job

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - “I am not a bad person I did not do anything wrong,” said Public Works Director Karun Sreerama.

Sreerama says he’s the reason Harris County Community College Trustee Chris Oliver is facing years in prison and a 250 thousand dollar fine.

Oliver pled guilty to federal charges of bribery of a public official concerning programs receiving federal funds.

The way the Public Works Director tells it the FBI knew he had loaned Oliver some money and they enlisted his help to catch Oliver in the act. 

“They told me he had been doing this for a while,” Sreerama said. “That’s what they told me I believe them and I wanted to help them.”

The feds say Oliver met with another person on several occasions at various restaurants and accepted cash payments in exchange for promising to use his position to help that person secure contracts with Houston Community College.

“The FBI asked me to do this and I did it,” Sreerama said. “I’m paying the price for doing a good deed.”

Now the public works director says he’s been unfairly labeled as someone who offers bribes.

The mayor put him on administrative leave with pay.

On Friday Sreerama stepped down as Public Works Director.

A mutual decision according to the mayor.

“The FBI will tell you if it wasn’t for me the person would still be out there,” Sreerama said.

A spokesperson for the FBI told us she couldn’t comment since Oliver’s case is pending.

He hasn’t been sentenced yet.

She referred us to the Department of Justice, but so far we’ve heard nothing back.