Central Vigilance Commissioner P.J. Thomas, facing adverse oral observations from the Supreme Court and Opposition demand for his sacking, on Thursday said his conscience was clear and he would continue in the post.
“I am morally clear. My conscience is very clear. I am continuing as CVC,” Mr. Thomas said dismissing as “speculative’’ questions on the possibility of his resignation.
He said that he was an “impartial’’ person and had distanced himself from the 2G spectrum scam as well as the Palmolein import case in Kerala.
The Palmolein import case “is a very old case. It did not happen in my tenure. I am not really aware of its status. The State government has a very funny stand on it,’’ Mr. Thomas told journalists outside his office in New Delhi.
The appointment of Mr. Thomas in September, who was Telecom Secretary till recently, as CVC was mired in controversy as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj had recorded her disagreement to his selection by the three-member panel, headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
After the Supreme Court raised questions on his ability to supervise CBI investigations in the 2G spectrum case, Mr. Thomas had offered to recuse himself from supervising the probe.
Mr. Thomas said that the case related to the Council of Ministers in Kerala taking a decision to import Palmolein and as Food Secretary he had implemented it. “On that basis, to level criminal conspiracy charge against me is funny,’’ he added.
On the alleged 2G spectrum scam, the CVC said the matter was sub judice and it would not be appropriate for him to comment on it. “Moreover, it happened between 2007 and 2008 when I was not the Telecom Secretary,’’ he said.
Sources in the government said that 19-year-old Palmolein import case was still pending trial, which has not even commenced on account of a stay given by the Supreme Court. They pointed out that the charge sheet in the case ignored the fact that the 15,000 metric tonne of Palmolein was sold in small pouches to ration card holders at rock bottom rates, in record time, through the cash-starved Civil Supplies Corporation that fetched the corporation nearly Rs. 17 crore by way of profit and not “loss.’’
Published - December 02, 2010 12:46 pm IST
