Kozhikode: Believers want priest suspended
Fr Joseph Pamblani had allegedly siphoned Rs 1.5 crore
Kozhikode: Bishop Remigiose Inch-ananiyil of Thamarassery diocese is under pressure from believers to suspend Fr Joseph Pamblani who is facing charges of financial frauds involving over Rs 1.5 crore.
Recently, the bishop had relieved him from the pastoral charges of Punnakkal parish, but believers allege that the bishop is still protecting him.
It may be recalled that Fr Joseph Pamblani, who is absconding, had siphoned off Rs 87.5 lakh from Plathottathil Abra-ham by promising him huge profits from diamond trade and another Rs 80 lakh from Maliye-kkamannil Scaria of Nellippoyil near Kodan-chery, by offering him a plantation at Peerumedu, Idukki.
The shady deals were executed in 2014 when the accused was the vicar of Punnakkal parish.
The believers’ forum, Catholic Laymen’s Association (CLA), alleged that bishop Remigiose Inch-ananiyil was colluding with the fraudsters and that he was also culpable. “That is why the bishop has not suspended the priest but just removed him from the pastoral duties of the parish,” it said in a press release.
“The bishop and the other authorities of the diocese also are equally responsible for the fraud and they should be enlisted as co-accused for covering up the crime and colluding with the culprit,” the CLA said.
Abraham Plathottathil told DC that he had met the bishop many times in connection with the fraud, but in vain. “It was after the mediation of the bishop that the priest returned Rs 18 lakh,” he said and added that the bishop also discouraged him from approaching the police seeking legal steps. According to him, the priest and his relative Sebastian alias Jose had promised him huge profits by selling diamonds purchased in the international market. He also demanded Rs 5 crore for testing the genuineness of the diamond by bringing internationally acclaimed experts.
On the police delay in arresting the priest, Abraham said that the bishop may be protecting him.
However, Thiruvambadi police said that the investigation was on. Though the priest had approached the High Court seeking anticipatory bail, he had not rec-eived it, the police said.