Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese accounts under lens

KOCHI: The Central Information Commission has admitted an appeal filed under the Right to Information Act by Jacob Santhosh of the Joint Christian Council questioning the decision of the Union Home Ministry rejecting a request on the details of the action taken on the irregularities in the accounts of the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese. The Union Home Ministry has detected discrepancies in the accounts of the archdiocese regarding the receipt of foreign funds.

The ministry then served a show-cause notice in October 2016 to the archdiocese to explain the discrepancies.  The ministry, however, has rejected the request for the details sought under the RTI Act. According to the petitioner the ministry has detected anomalies in the accounts of the archdiocese running into crores of rupees for the years from 2009-10 to 2013-14.  Normally, in such cases a CBI probe has to be instituted and further action needed to be taken, said Santhosh. The petitioner has questioned the practices of the money donated by the laity becoming the private property of the Cardinal.