Tuesday, August 9, 2011: Stating that the Vigilance Court order to investigate the role of Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in the palm oil import deal was ‘technical’, former Food and Civil Supplies Minister and senior Congress leader TH Mustafa today said the order was against the government procedures. Talking to newspersons here, he clarified that neither Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy nor he was involved in the deal.
He said all blame could not be put on him or Chandy as a decision in this regard was taken by the then Cabinet.
Mustafa said when the file came before him, he forwarded it to the Cabinet and it was the then Cabinet which took a decision unanimously in this regard.
Replying to a question, he said there was no need of quitting vigilance portfolio by the Chief Minister.
Earlier, Mustafa, an accused in the palm oil corruption case, had filed a discharge petition before the inquiry commissioner and special judge (vigilance) that he was arraigned as an accused in the case unjustly, while excluding Chandy, the then Finance Minister.
The alleged corruption case pertained to import of 32,000 tonnes of palm oil from Malaysia causing loss of Rs 2.32 crore to the state exchequer during Karunakaran Ministry in 1992.
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