No merit in graft case against CVC Thomas: Chandy
December 12th, 2010 - 8:53 pm ICT by IANSThiruvananthapuram, Dec 12 (IANS) There is no merit in the corruption case against Chief Vigilance Commissioner P.J. Thomas, whose continuance the Supreme Court has questioned, former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy of the Congress said Sunday.The opposition in parlaiment has been demanding Thomas’ resignation as he has been chargsheeted in a palm oil import scam when he was Kerala’s civil supplies secretary in 1992. At that time, Chandy was the finance minister.
“There is no merit in saying that there was corruption in this deal,” said Chandy, leader of opposition in Kerala assembly.
The palm oil case was registered in 1999, accusing Thomas and others of a criminal conspiracy causing a loss of Rs.2.32 crore to the state exchequer.
They were accused of importing 15,000 tonnes of palm oil from Malaysia at an inflated price.
Speaking to IANS, Chandy said in 1992 he was the finance minister and it was decided to import palm oil from Malaysia.
“At the time of price fixation, like in any international trade agreement, a fluctuation in dollar value took place. That’s all that happened and there were two methods to fix the price and Kerala opted for one method and it is here that there was a difference of around Rs.2.32 crore (as compared to the other option),” he said.
“Had Kerala opted for a particular mode (for fixing the import price of palm oil) the state would have gained around Rs.2.32 crore. There was no corruption at all,” said Chandy.
“At the same time, West Bengal also imported palm oil and the same thing had happened there but there was no case,” said Chandy.
The Kerala government, in an affidavit filed in the apex court Thursday, said that the hearing in the corruption case has been postponed 24 times because of a stay order. The apex court would take up the case Tuesday.
Thomas, who was the telecom secretary prior to becoming the CVC, has withdrawn himself from the ongoing probe into the allocation of spectrum to mobile companies that the Comptroller and Auditor General of India says caused a presumptive loss of Rs.1.76 crore to the exchequer. The scam also cost then telecom minister A. Raja his job.
- CVC Thomas to face trial in palm oil corruption case - Jan 11, 2011
- Apex court clears decks for Thomas' trial in Kerala scam (Lead) - Jan 11, 2011
- Kerala palmolein scam to be re-investigated - Mar 14, 2011
- Vigilance gives clean chit to Chandy in palm oil case - Jan 07, 2012
- Kerala chief whip petitions against judge - Sep 10, 2011
- Government was expecting verdict in Thomas case - Mar 03, 2011
- Kerala special prosecutor in Palmoil case resigns - Feb 16, 2012
- Congress in poll mode in Kerala, plays 'rice' politics - Mar 25, 2011
- List palm oil case before another court: Judge - Sep 24, 2011
- Monday could bring the blues for Chandy - Mar 12, 2011
- Supreme Court strikes down appointment of CVC P.J. Thomas - Mar 03, 2011
- Supreme Court rejects Kerala oil import probe plea (Lead) - Jan 04, 2012
- Chandy gives up vigilance portfolio after probe order - Aug 09, 2011
- Palmoline case: Kerala government not averse to re-probe - Oct 18, 2011
- High court strikes down observations against Chandy - Dec 02, 2011
Tags: apex court, chandy, corruption case, criminal conspiracy, crore, finance minister, graft case, inflated price, international trade agreement, j thomas, kerala chief minister, kerala government, leader of opposition, oil import, palm oil, parlaiment, price fixation, rs 2, state exchequer, west bengal