THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opposition Leader V.S. Achuthanandan on Friday said the bar bribe verdict had exposed the ‘true face' of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, CWC member A.K. Antony and KPCC president V.M. Sudheeran.
The veteran leader said; “From Antony and Sudheeran’s statement what I can understand is that corruption is the birth right of Congress and UDF. Antony has stooped to the mental state where he says much importance need not be attached to the verdict and that it would not have any impact on the people.”
Achuthanandan said as usual Sudheeran adopted a wishy-washy stand. “He says people’s court will decide. It is as good as asking people to catch those indulging in corruption,” he added.
“If an iota of morality is left in Antony and Sudheeran they should ask the chief minister to sack Mani and suspend Vinson Paul,” he said.
He said Vinson Paul had claimed that in bar case he had worked within the framework of law. “After reading the verdict one can easily make out that he acted only like a staff of law minister’s office. The government and vigilance director hatched a conspiracy to derail the probe,” he alleged.
Achuthanandan warned the government against using people’s money for further legal proceedings in bar case.
“Mani can use a portion of bar bribe money to go for appeal,” he said. Some see VS’s comment as a veiled indictment of Pinarayi Vijayan who had reportedly used government funds to fight the Lavalin case.
Kodiyeri accuses government of derailing probe: The government move to go in for appeal against the verdict was aimed at derailing the probe.
“There is no similarity between palm oil case and bar bribe palm oil case. In palm oil case Chandy was not an accused. However, in this case Mani is an accused. This is an unprecedented situation and he is involved in an offence in which if found guilty, he will be liable for seven year imprisonment.
