Court reserves order for probe into Palmolein case

The petition was filed in the Special Vigilance Court hearing the palmolein case,in which Central Vigilance Commisssioner PJ Thomas is also an accused. The government said the investigation agency proposed to conduct further probe in the matter regarding the involvement of other persons,who were likely to become accused in the case.

The prosecution’s move was seen as an attempt to involve Oommen Chandy,Congress leader who was Finance Minister in the UDF ministry headed by late K Karunakaran,which cleared the deal in 1992.

Chandy’s name came up in connection with a discharge peitition filed by the then Food Minister TH Mustaffa,the second accused in the case.

The Judge S Jagadeesh after hearing both the state and counsel for Mustaffa,reserved his orders on the petition of the state.

The original case filed under the Prevention of Corruption Act,Indian Penal Code alleged corruption in importing pamolein from Malaysia,which allegedly caused a loss to the tune of Rs 2.32 core to the state exchequer in 1991-92 when the late Congress leader K Karunarakan was Chief Minister and PJ Thomas the Food Secretary and a member of the Board of the Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation.

Thomas has been listed as the eighth accused in the chargesheet filed by the Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau in 2003.