Tom Jose gets vigilance clean chit

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) did not find any evidence of additional chief secretary Tom Jose amassing illegal wealth. The vigilance special cell that probed the case filed a report in this regard at the Enquiry Commissioner and Special Court (Vigilance) at Muvattupuzha. The Vigilance case initiated against the senior IAS officer on the basis of a petition filed by one Paichira Navaz, while Jacob Thomas was serving as VACB director, had triggered a controversy. Navaz filed a series of petitions against senior IAS and IPS officers. A case against Chief Secretary K.M. Abraham was closed by the court recently.

The allegation against Mr Jose was that he amassed assets disproportionate to the tune of Rs 1.19 crore and purchased properties, including an estate at Sindhu-durg in Maharashtra at a cost of over Rs 1.5 crore.  After conducting a preliminary probe, the VACB registered a case.  Mr Jose was also quizzed for hours and his house raided. The detailed Vigilance probe found Mr Jose getting financial assistance and personal loans from his family friend Anita Jose and father-in-law P.J. Davies. All these transactions were made through banks.

“During the preliminary verification we could only look into his income from salary. Hence, prima facie there were assets disproportionate  to his known sources of income. However, during the detailed probe, his other sources of income came to light and hence the case is being closed," said a top vigilance official. The Vigilance report would be accepted by the court only after considering any objections by the original petitioner. Chief Minister's chief principal secretary Nalini Netto, while serving as additional chief secretary (home) had earlier probed into the allegations regarding the purchase of the estate at Sindhudurg by Mr Jose and given him a clean chit.

Meanwhile, the Vigilance had also registered another case against additional chief secretary Tom Jose last year in connection with various corruption allegations pertaining to the Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited, including a Rs 1.21 crore in Magnesium purchase, during 2011-15 period. Sources said that the Vigilance special investigation unit probing into the case had already found that the allegations against Mr Jose were baseless.