CVC defends himself in SC against scam charges

New Delhi: Central Vigilance Commission PJ Thomas on Thursday defended himself in the Supreme Court against charges of corruption levelled against him.

Calling himself a person of "impeccable integrity" and the palmolein oil import scam a politically motivated case Thomas said, "I am of impeccable integrity. My name was cleared by CVC in 2007 and am eligible to hold my present post. I have been dragged into a row between Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan and late chief minister K Karunakaran."

Thomas made the statement in an affidavit filed through advocate Wills Mathew in the apex court while opposing a petition seeking his removal as Central Vigilance Commissioner on corruption charges.

Thomas, who was appointed as CVC on September 7 last year, was issued notices on petitions filed by NGO, Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) and some other eminent persons including former chief election commissioner JM Lyngdoh against his appointment.

His affidavit was filed in response to the notice issued by a bench headed by Chief Justice of India SH Kapadia on December 6 last on various petitions challenging his appointment as CVC despite having been chargesheeted in the palmolein oil import case in Kerala.

Thomas' appointment as the CVC has been controversial because he has been chargesheeted in the palmoline export scam while serving as Kerala's secretary in the State Ministry of Food and Civil Supplies. Even his tenure as secretary in the Department of Telecommunications is clouded in controversy as he is alleged to have covered up the 2G spectrum scandal.

The petitioners argued that Thomas cannot not be considered as a person of "impeccable integrity" as he was chargesheeted in the Palmolein import scam when he was a secretary in the Kerala Ministry of Food and Civil Supplies and had secured bail from the local court.

The PILs said he could not be appointed CVC on account of "conflict of interest" as till recently he was serving as Secretary in Telecom Ministry and there was allegation that he was involved in the "cover-up" of the 2G spectrum scam, which, according to the petitioners, has caused a loss of Rs 70,000 crore to the state exchequer.

However, CAG in its report has stated that there was a presumptive loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore. Later, during the hearing of 2G spectrum scam, the government informed that Thomas has recused from supervising the CBI in its investigation in the case.

The Supreme Court had on November 22 questioned Thomas' controversial appointment as the CVC. The apex court had asked how Thomas would work as CVC since a chargesheet naming him was still pending in a criminal case.

The 60-year-old officer was appointed to the CVC's post by a three-member panel headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh but not before the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, gave a dissenting note.

(With inputs from PTI)