Palmolein taint: CVC on way out?
Jan. 27: Amid mounting speculation that the Central Vigilance Commissioner Mr P.J. Thomas would have to step down, after the Centre was asked embarrassing questions by the Supreme Court over Mr Thomas’ appointment, the Union law and justice minister, Dr M. Veerappa Moily met Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Thursday evening. A case against Mr Thomas’ involvement in the Palmolein import scam of 1992-93 is pending.
Sources stated that a decision on the removal or possible replacement of the CVC was likely to be taken by the PMO shortly, with the law minister understood to have briefed the PM on steps that could be taken by the government on the issue.
Dr Moily refused to confirm what transpired at the meeting. Earlier in the day, Attorney General G.E. Vahanvati defended the government’s decision to appoint Mr Thomas as CVC, saying the pending chargesheet in a case should not be a reason to determine the eligibility of an officer, who otherwise had a good track record.
“Nothing about the Palmolein case was before the committee,” the Attorney General said, adding that despite the chargesheet, Thomas was appointed chief secretary by the Kerala government in 2007 and subsequently when brought to the Centre in 2009, was appointed telecom secretary after the CVC had given him “vigilance clearance.”
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