Can the statements recorded during preliminary investigation be relied upon?

11. Can the statements recorded during preliminary investigation be relied
upon?
In this connection para 6.2 of the Vigilance Manual (1991 (ed) provides as under:
Instead of recording the evidence of the prosecution witness, de novo,
wherever it is possible, the statement of a witness already recorded at the
preliminary inquiry/investigation may be read out to him at the oral inquiry and
if it is admitted by him, the cross-examination of the witness may commence
thereafter straightaway. A copy of the said statement should, however, be
made available to the delinquent officer sufficiently in advance (at least 3
days) of the date on which it is to come up for inquiry. As regards the
statement recorded by the Investigating officers of the CBI, which are not
signed, the statement of the witness recorded by the Investigating Officer will

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be read out to him and a certificate will be recorded thereunder that it had
been read out to the person concerned and has been accepted by him