Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief
Minister V S Achuthanandan today disapproved of the
appointment of P J Thomas as Central Vigilance Commissioner,
saying he still figured as an accused in a graft case relating
to import of palmolein.
"The case in which a senior Congress leader (K
Karunakaran) is involved remains serious till now," the
veteran CPI-M leader, who took up the case when he was the
Opposition leader, said.
Thomas figured as an accused in the case filed in
2003, in which then chief minister Karunakaran is listed as
the first accused. The case pertains to alleged irregularities
in palmolein import through a Singapore-based firm allegedly
causing a loss of Rs 2.3 crore to the state exchequer.
"I do not agree with the Centre`s decision,"
Achuthanandan said at a meet-the-press programme here when
asked about the appointment of Thomas, an IAS officer of
Kerala cadre who faced the allegation during his earlier
tenure in the state.
Karunakaran had approached the apex court alleging
that the case was politically motivated. The Oommen Chandy
government had decided to withdraw the case, but did not
inform the court of its decision.
When the LDF came to power, the Achuthanandan
government reversed the decision and impleaded in the case
pending before the Supreme Court.
-PTI
