No proof against Oommen Chandy clean chit in palmolein case

Thiruvananthapuram: The state government has informed the Thiruvananthapuram Vigilance Court that it could not find any evidence against former chief minister Oommen Chandy in the palmolein case. The stand taken by the special public prosecutor in the court on Wednesday is contrary to that adopted by the LDF and CPM leader V.S. Achthuanandan earlier.

Though Mr Chandy was not an accused in the palmolein case, his name got involved in it after Thrissur Vigilance Court judge S.S. Vasan observed that Mr Chandy was aware of the palmolein deals.

The judge said this while considering the discharge petitions of the then chief secretary S. Padma Kumar and additional chief secretary Zacharia Mathew.

The then chief secretary S. Padma Kumar and additional chief secretary Zacharia Mathew were accused in the palmolein case. “Oommen Chandy, who was  the then finance minister, had seen the files. The additional secretary had written the note that the finance minister should see the files,” the judge observed.

Meanwhile, the Thiruvananthapuram Vigilance Court has made it clear that it would pronounce the verdict on the plea of P.J. Thomas, former secretary of food department and eighth accused, seeking exemption in the palmolein corruption case on August 27. The court while taking up  the case had said that there was a deliberate attempt to delay the cases involving politicians and higher officials.

Former chief secretary Jiji Thomson, the then food and civil supplies minister T.H. Musthafa, P.J. Thomas and two representatives of the company involved in the import of palmolein are the five accused in the case.

A deal was signed to import palmolein from Malayasia after flouting the rules by the K. Karunakaran cabinet in 1991-92. This led to a loss of Rs 2.32 crore to  the government.

Eight, including K. Karunakaran, were  accused in the case. Karunakaran died and  S. Padma Kumar and Zacharia Mathew were exempted in the case. With this, the number of accused has come down to five.

The palmolein import scam was first brought to light officially by a report of the Accountant- General, Kerala, in July 1993, a Comptroller and Auditor-General report in February 1994  and subsequently by a report of the Public Undertakings Committee of the Kerala Legislative Assembly in March 1996. After the Left government came to power in May 1996, a Vigilance case was registered against Karunakaran and six others on March 21, 1997.