Author: Abraham Thomas
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: December 16, 2010
URL: http://www.dailypioneer.com/304074/SC-rebuffs-CVC%E2%80%99s-claim-in-palmolein-import-case.html
In a blow to Central Vigilance Commissioner
(CVC) PJ Thomas' claim that no case was made out against him in the palmolein
import scam, the Supreme Court on Wednesday suspected "mala fide"
behind the Kerala Government's 2005 decision giving a clean chit to all the
eight accused in the scam.
This decision of the Kerala Government was
one of the grounds relied on by Thomas before the apex court in a PIL challenging
his suitability to continue as head of the apex anti-corruption body was doubted.
The import of palmolein in 1991-92 took place
during the tenure of former Congress MP K Karunakaran as Chief Minister. Thomas
was the Food and Civil Supplies Secretary under him and was charge-sheeted
along with Karunakaran for causing loss of `2.30 crore to the State. In 2005,
the then Congress Government withdrew the case against Karunakaran and others.
A year later, the Left Front Government scrapped the decision to withdraw
the case.
Hearing an appeal filed by Karunakaran whose
counsel had challenged the Left Front Government's decision and alleged that
it was driven by "political mala fides", the Bench of Justices Aftab
Alam and RM Lodha suggested that even the Congress Government's decision to
withdraw the prosecution smacked of "mala fide".
When senior advocate KK Venugopal, appearing
for Karunakaran informed the court that in 2005, Karunakaran was a Member
of Parliament and the Congress Government was in power in Kerala, the bench
said, "then that decision (to withdraw prosecution) was equally mala
fide."
Taken aback by this counter-charge, Venugopal
shifted gears and argued that the Left Front Government cited no reason to
withdraw the earlier Government's decision and the matter was listed in the
Cabinet agenda out of turn, indicating the haste with which the State machinery
was seeking to settle political scores against his client.
