Vigilance court here yesterday ordered the state vigilance department to launch a fresh probe into the role of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in the infamous 1992 palm oil import case. Chandy was the finance minister in the K Karunakaran government when the deal to import 15,000 tonnes of palm oil was struck.
The case was registered in 1999 during the EK Nayanar-led government term. Former chief minister K Karunakaran, the then minister TH Mustafa and bureaucrats PJ Thomas and Jiji Thompson were charged with causing Rs 2.32cr loss to the state exchequer by importing oil from Malaysia at an enhanced price.
Thomas, whose appointment as CVC was quashed by the Supreme Court, was the food secretary and one of the directors of the state civil supplies corporation. Karunakaran was the first accused in the case hut his name was deleted from the list after his demise.
The case was reopened earlier this year by the VS Achuthanandan government after Mustafa filed a petition asking the court that he also be allowed to go free as Chandy has not been named in the case.
After a hurried investigation, vigilance department submitted the report giving a clean chit to Chandy on May 13-the day the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) won the assembly polls.
When special vigilance court judge PK Haneefa gave the order yesterday, Chandy was busy in his conference hall discussing about the developments of the three state airports.
Soon, with the news spreading about the court directive, his cabinet colleagues and party leaders made a beeline to his office.
Later, standing with his cabinet and party colleagues at the state secretariat, Chandy said he had conveyed his stand on the development to the party high command.
"When my name came up earlier in connection with the case, I had conveyed my stand to the party high command. I have apprised the party central leadership of my views on today's development also," Chandy, said.
The judge asked the vigilance and anti-corruption bureau to submit the probe reRs port within three months.
The court dismissed the early report considering three things. Oommen Chandy, who was the financial minister then, had signed in the direction forwarded by Musthafa wanting to include palmoil import as a special subject in the cabinet meet. Next, the file relating to the import was in the finance minister's office for one and half months and thirdly Chandy was aware of levying a 15 % service tax.
Leader of Opposition VS Achuthanandan was quick to react and asked for Chandy's resignation.
"With today's verdict, he will have to go," the Marxist leader said.
Emerging after a 90-minute discussion with his colleagues, state Congress president Ramesh Chennithala said the verdict appears strange. "We never said anything when that probe was announced. There has been no indictment on Chandy and there's no word that he is an accused. We will face it and the question of a resignation does not arise at all," said Chennithala.
Deputy opposition leader of the House Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said that in the light of the court order, a fresh probe by the same vigilance department will not be very helpful.
"The present vigilance department director should quit. With Chandy himself holding the vigilance portfolio, he should give up the portfolio. It must be recalled that former central vigilance commissioner PJ Thomas had to step down because he is an accused in the case," said Balakrishnan.
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