Court orders further probe in oil import case

Thiruvananthapuram : A Vigilance court here on Monday ordered further probe in the palmolein oil import case, in which former CVC PJ Thomas is a co-accused, after the prosecution approached the court stating it had more evidence to implicate other accused.

The prosecution had moved the court earlier this month, stating that it had gathered more evidence in the case and sought the court?s permission for further probe.

Accepting the plea, the court has now given its consent for further enquiry.

Thomas? appointment as the country?s Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) was struck down by the Supreme Court earlier this month as Thomas? name appeared among the accused in the oil import case.

Thomas was the Kerala food and civil supplies secretary when palmolein oil import deal was struck in 1992.

Congress leader Oommen Chandy, who was the finance minister in the UDF government headed by late K Karunakaran when the deal came through, has welcomed the court?s directive for further probe.

Chandy, also a former chief minister, has been absolved from the case, which has now led another accused TH Musthafa, the then food minister, to also seek similar concession.

In his petition, Musthafa, without naming Chandy, pointed that both Chandy and he had suggested that the proposal for oil import be placed before the state Cabinet.

Though the then finance minister (Chnady) was absolved from the case, Musthafa contended that he has been ?unjustly arraigned as an accused due to political reasons?.
Musthafa has moved up the table from being the second accused in the case following the death of Karunankaran.

The charge sheet in the case was filed by the Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau in 2003.

The case relates to the import of 15,000 tonnes of oil from a Malaysian company when K Karunakaran was the Chief Minister.

It was alleged that the price was higher than the international rate and caused a loss of Rs 2.32 crore to the exchequer.