Dr Singh knew of pending Palmolein case against me: Thomas
February 02, 2011 16:31 IST
Central Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas has dragged Dr Prime Minister Manmohan Singh into the controversy surrounding the Palmolein import case. In his latest affidavit, Thomas states the PM knew about his pending Palmolein import case since 2008 and the Kerala government's request to withdraw sanction of prosecution.
In the affidavit filed on Tuesday, Thomas quoted the Central Vigilance Commission report of October 6, 2008 clearing him and seven other Indian Administrative Service officers for empanelment as secretaries to the Government of India and also the detailed note of the department of personnel dated October 17, 2008 on the vigilance status based on the CVC report. The CVC had cleared the names submitted by the government except that of Parminder Singh against whom a sanction was granted to the Central Bureau of Investigation for his prosecution under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Thomas quotes the department's note to point out that there were some charges against each officer but they were cleared by the CVC for appointment as secretaries. "The PM has ordered that in view of the fact that there are no disciplinary proceedings in the Palmolein case, the request of the state government regarding withdrawal of request for sanction of prosecution is noted," it said.
"An additional consideration was the fact that as the event was nearly half a decade old, it should not come in the way of my empanelment," Thomas said.
He also took pride in stressing in the affidavit that the petitioner's lawyer seeking his dismissal had himself stated in the dourt on January 27 that he (Thomas) is not corrupt and there is no doubt about his integrity. Of course, the lawyer stated, "I was not proactive, and, like many of my predecessors, I will not be combative in my new dispensation."
Thomas also stressed that the inquiry about documents placed before the selection committee may not be relevant since all those short-listed were secretaries to the Government of India who "by virtue of their process of selection as secretaries, are deemed automatically to be of impeccable integrity."
He also pointed out that he was the senior most among more than 40 IAS secretaries to the Centre and "it would not have been appropriate to have entirely ignored me, especially when I had received vigilance clearance as well."
He also noted that he was the only person who had served as a chief secretary in the panel of three considered for the post of the CVC. The other two were Bijoy Chatterjee and Subbaroyan.
A Correspondent in New Delhi
