Kerala Congress(B) leader R. Balakrishna Pillai on Saturday officially sought separate criminal inquiries against Finance Minister K.M. Mani and Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob on charges of corruption.
His complaint to the Director, Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, came a week after he publicly denounced the Ministers “for graft”.
CM criticised
Mr. Pillai also criticised Chief Minister Oommen Chandy for doing nothing about the “wrongdoings” despite being aware of them since September last.
In his complaint, Mr. Pillai repeated his accusation that Mr. Mani had sought and accepted bribe from rice mill and quarry owners for budgetary favours.
He also pointed a finger of suspicion at Mr. Jacob, accusing the Minister of corruption in appointments to quasi-judicial posts in consumer disputes redressal forums and also the Registration Department. Mr. Pillai also stated that, as a whistleblower, he testified to the Chief Minister in September about the graft. He submitted as evidence a letter he had purportedly written to the Chief Minister about the issue last year.
VACB investigators said they would review Mr. Pillai’s complaint and assess the evidentiary value of his statement. Action would hinge on legal opinion received by the agency.
Files complaint with VACB Director
Says he testified to Chief Minister in September about graft
