THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Four bar owners, including Kerala Bar Hotel Owners' Association leaders, informed the Vigilance court here on Monday that they were not willing to undergo a polygraph test in the bar bribery case against finance minister K. M. Mani.
Association president Rajkumar Unni, secretary M. D. Dhanesh, and bar owners Krishnadas Polakulath and John Kallat expressed their unwillingness before the Inquiry Commissioner and Special Judge (Vigilance) here. The counsel for the four informed the judge that they got legal and medical advice against undergoing the polygraph test.
There is a Supreme Court directive that a perhis/her consent. Interestingly, the bar owners’ stand came close on the heels of the decision at the association’s meeting on Saturday to expose those involved and back association working president Biju Ramesh who set the ball rolling by raising the allegation that Mani had taken bribe.
The four had earlier told the vigilance team that they had not handed over the bribe money to Mr Mani. Their new stand may widen the rift among bar owners, said sources.
