Bar bribery scam is not a closed chapter: Vigilance Director

The Bar bribery scam against former Finance and Law minister K M Mani was "not a closed chapter" and the Vigilance Bureau is hopeful of new evidence cropping up, Vigilance Director Jacob Thomas today said.
However, he made it clear that there would be no witch-hunt.
Mani, heading Kerala Congress (M), the third largest party in the opposition Congress led UDF, had an unceremonious exit as Finance Minister from the previous Oommen Chandy government in the wake of the scam after Kerala High Court made some adverse observations last year.
DGP Thomas, who heads the Kerala Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, said the agency can initiate further probe in the case if new material evidence comes to light.

The agency was also examining the alleged corrupt transactions of the former excise minister K Babu, who is also facing charges in the bar scam.
"Further probe will be done in the case against Mani if we are sure to get conclusive evidences. Vigilance is waiting for such evidence. The eyes and ears of Vigilance are open," Thomas told PTI in an interview.

Holding that the bar case was not a "closed chapter", Thomas said the Vigilance has got a clear picture on what it has to do in it.
"Vigilance has information that some of the witnesses, who were unable to speak the truth earlier due to various reasons, are now ready to give evidence supporting the charges", he said.

During the time of investigation, VACB had questioned 350 witnesses but they had not told the truth at that time, he said.
"But now, in the changed circumstances (after the LDF came to power), some of the witnesses may have realised that the accused is no more in power and so they will come out with evidences", the official said.
He also said it is possible for the agency to conduct a fresh inquiry holding that there were lapses or deficiencies in the previous probes.
"But I am of the view that it would be better to order a probe if Vigilance is sure that new evidence will be forthcoming", he said.

The Vigilance's stand assumes significance as the agency had given a closure report with a clean chit to Mani in the case after conducting two investigations during the tenure of the previous UDF government.
The bar scam pertains to the allegation by Bar Hotel
Owners' Association working president Biju Ramesh that Mani had demanded Rs five crore as bribe and accepted Rs one crore for the reopening of closed foreign liquor bars in the state.
The Kerala Bar Hotel Industries Association, another outfit of bar owners, had recently come out with another charge that Babu had indulged in irregularities to the tune of Rs 100 crore in connection with the issuing of licenses to beer and wine parlours.

Asked about the decade-old Palmolein import graft case, Thomas said he had requested the government to appoint a special prosecutor to complete the trial as early as possible.
The case, in which former Chief Minister and Congress leader late K Karunakaran and former chief Secretary Jiji Thomson are among the accused, is now pending in the vigilance court here.
When asked about the quantum of corruption during the previous UDF government related to various corruption cases, Thomas said the "total amount of money involved is not the criteria to assess the magnitude of corruption".
"Corruption is corruption even if it is for Rs 10 and we have to check it", the official said.