Kollam: The Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau has failed to register a First Information Report even five months after conducting a quick verification on the alleged financial irregularities in the Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation.
The VACB has not registered any case against the accused nor has it taken any criminal action on the allegation because of the political and financial influence of the accused, a petition filed before the Thiruvananthapuram vigilance inquiry Commission and special judge court by Kadakampally Manoj, who got the CBI to inquire into the corruption at the Cashew Corp, points out.
The Corporation had in 2015 purchased 2000 tons of raw cashew from Guinea Bissau from the Rs 30 cr allotted by the Government after former Cashew Corporation Chairman R. Chandrasekharan had staged a protest in front of the Secretariat. With this money, the KSCDC allegedly entered into a deal with the controversial JMJ cashews, the sole participant in the e-tender, in August 2015. The Director board meeting on August 14 decided to purchase 2000 tons of cashew having specifications, Outturn 53 pound and count 220, for a rate of Rs 117.01 per kilogram for a total of Rs 23.40 crore.
“The corruption took place after the High Court was about to pronounce the order for a CBI inquiry. The corrupt officials have carried out this act during their last hours with the Corporation. The cashew procured was of very low quality. In order to hide the real quality, cashew required for only a day’s processing was distributed to the factories.,” Kadakampally Manoj told DC.
The Chairman of the Corporation had resigned and the MD was transferred after the HC had ordered a CBI inquiry into the corruption allegations earlier.
The reports by the C&AG, the RIAB by the finance department, and the expert committee appointed by the Government all mentioned about the corruption at the Cashew Corporation.
