Probe recommended against Vigilance chief

KERALA

KERALA CHIEF SECRETARY M S Vijayanand has recommended a probe against Vigilance Director Jacob Thomas for alleged financial irregularities during his tenure as port directorate head. In his report to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Vijayanand has said that Thomas, a DGP rank IPS officer, be kept away from his current post for an impartial probe into the allegations. Thomas is accused of financial irregularities worth Rs 15 crore mainly with regard to purchase of a dredger.

Additional Chief Secretary K M Abraham, who is facing a vigilance probe into alleged wealth accumulation, has prepared the findings against Thomas. Abraham had complained to Vijayan against a vigilance raid on his house a few months back.

IAS officers in Kerala had last month threatened to go on oneday mass casual leave to protest against the vigilance cases against bureaucrats Paul Antony, Tom Jose and Abraham. The bureaucrats had to rethink after Vijayan took exception to their proposed protest. Thomas had been the target of IAS officers ire.

A petition filed in the high court had sought corruption probe against Thomas a few months back. The government had supported Thomas saying that the allegations were baseless and had been probed earlier. Another petition was filed in the Vigilance Court in Muvattupuzha seeking probe against Thomas last week. The government reiterated the allegations were baseless while the court directed the petitioner to produce more evidence.

CPM veteran V S Achuthanandan called Vijayanand’s recommendation vindictive. He wrote to Vijayan saying that a section of bureaucrats was trying to shield corrupt officials. “When IAS officer K Padmakumar was arrested in connection with multi-crore corruption at Malabar Cements, the Chief Secretary had taken an approach to protect the official,’’ he wrote.