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Senior bureaucrat Jiji Thomson, fifth accused in the sensational palm oil import corruption case, has requested the Kerala High Court that former bureaucrat Alphonse Kannanthanam, known as Demolition Man for his daring anti-land mafia drives while in service, could be made an accused in the case. Kannanthanam responded by saying: “Jiji is joking.”
In the counter-affidavit he filed in the High Court opposing Kannanthanam’s plea to implead in the case, Thomson said Kannanthanam, director of the Kerala Civil Supplies Corporation (Supplyco) in 1991-1992 when the controversial palm oil import took place, could be made an accused in the case as he had stated that he knew everything about the import.
The High Court had recently stayed the follow-up probe ordered by a Thiruvananthapuram court in the palm oil case asking the Vigilance to investigate the role of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who was finance minister when the import took place, on a petition filed by Thomson. For this, he was accused by the Opposition of trying to protect Chandy.
Kannanthanam, reputed as a bold civil servant, had said that he knew of the details of the import deal and that he had opposed it. He had also said that this was one of the reasons why he had to leave Kerala for New Delhi. Jiji Thomson was managing director of Supplyco when the then (late) K Karunakaran Government had decided to import palm oil from Malaysia.
In his affidavit, Thomson said that Kannanthanam should have opposed the import if he had information that it was in violation of norms. His refusal to do so meant that he had connived with the deal and therefore he could be become an accused in the probe being held by the Vigilance, he argued.
The bureaucrat also requested the court not to allow the petitions filed by Kannanthanam, Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan and the Indian Lawyers Union for impleading in the case. He said Achuthanandan had no right to implead in the case as he had been conducting defeated legal cases.
Former Food minister TH Musthaffa, second accused in the case, had earlier told the Vigilance Court in Thiruvananthapuram that Chandy was as responsible as him for the import. A Congress leader justified Thomson’s demand for case against Kannanthanam by saying, “By the yardstick of Musthaffa’s statement, Thomson’s request could be taken seriously.”
Jiji Thomson, who had earlier filed a discharge petition in the case, had told the High Court that he wanted the follow-up probe to be cancelled as the delay in the case was affecting his career. Justice KT Sankaran, who was hearing the case, would take up Thomson’s petition as well as the pleas for impleading.
Responding to Thomson’s request to the court, Kannanthanam said this was the first time he was coming across a theory that those who knew of the details of a case could be named as accused. Those who knew such details would be made witnesses and not accused, he pointed out.
In the counter-affidavit he filed in the High Court opposing Kannanthanam’s plea to implead in the case, Thomson said Kannanthanam, director of the Kerala Civil Supplies Corporation (Supplyco) in 1991-1992 when the controversial palm oil import took place, could be made an accused in the case as he had stated that he knew everything about the import.
The High Court had recently stayed the follow-up probe ordered by a Thiruvananthapuram court in the palm oil case asking the Vigilance to investigate the role of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who was finance minister when the import took place, on a petition filed by Thomson. For this, he was accused by the Opposition of trying to protect Chandy.
Kannanthanam, reputed as a bold civil servant, had said that he knew of the details of the import deal and that he had opposed it. He had also said that this was one of the reasons why he had to leave Kerala for New Delhi. Jiji Thomson was managing director of Supplyco when the then (late) K Karunakaran Government had decided to import palm oil from Malaysia.
In his affidavit, Thomson said that Kannanthanam should have opposed the import if he had information that it was in violation of norms. His refusal to do so meant that he had connived with the deal and therefore he could be become an accused in the probe being held by the Vigilance, he argued.
The bureaucrat also requested the court not to allow the petitions filed by Kannanthanam, Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan and the Indian Lawyers Union for impleading in the case. He said Achuthanandan had no right to implead in the case as he had been conducting defeated legal cases.
Former Food minister TH Musthaffa, second accused in the case, had earlier told the Vigilance Court in Thiruvananthapuram that Chandy was as responsible as him for the import. A Congress leader justified Thomson’s demand for case against Kannanthanam by saying, “By the yardstick of Musthaffa’s statement, Thomson’s request could be taken seriously.”
Jiji Thomson, who had earlier filed a discharge petition in the case, had told the High Court that he wanted the follow-up probe to be cancelled as the delay in the case was affecting his career. Justice KT Sankaran, who was hearing the case, would take up Thomson’s petition as well as the pleas for impleading.
Responding to Thomson’s request to the court, Kannanthanam said this was the first time he was coming across a theory that those who knew of the details of a case could be named as accused. Those who knew such details would be made witnesses and not accused, he pointed out.
