THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has registered a fresh corruption case against ports director P.I. Sheik Pareeth in connection with the suspected irregularities in selecting a cooperative society for sand dredging at Azheekal port in Kannur district. Incidentally, Mr. Pareeth had recently made adverse remarks against Vigilance director Jacob Thomas in connection with a finance inspection wing report on the irregularities in the ports department while Mr. Thomas was ports director. The matter is pending with the government.
VACB northern-range unit in Kozhikode registered the fresh case against Mr. Pareeth on November 23 and filed the first information report before the court of Enquiry Commissioner and Special Judge (Vigilance) in Thalassery. Mr. Pareeth was arraigned as first accused and the office-bearers of Kannur District Building Materials Furniture Cooperative Society at Chakkkarakallu in Kannur as the second accused. Criminal misconduct and conspiracy have been framed against the accused.
Mr. Pareeth has already faced another vigilance case pertaining to the opening of a bar in Ernakulam district in 2014, which was earlier closed after the land was acquired for Kochi Metro. He was then serving as Ernakulam district collector. According to the FIR in the Azheekal port case, the cooperative society's tender for manual sand dredging at the port was rejected among 21 others for various reasons. As the society approached the High Court, it directed the ports director to pass appropriate orders in accordance with law.
Mr. Pareeth who conducted a hearing in July 2015 again maintained that the society's tender could not be considered. However, on April 7, 2016, Mr. Pareeth himself directed the senior port conservator of Azheekal to include the society in the select societies for manual dredging. A quick verification by the VACB found that this was done by misinterpreting the High Court order and that the society had received undue pecuniary advantage. Meanwhile, Mr. Pareeth told DC that the society was selected as per the High Court directives and that nothing was done out of the way.
