Land for mall: VS gives clean chit to NRI businessman

Contradicting doubts raised by some in his own party,CPI-M leader V S Achuthanandan today gave clean a chit to leading NRI businessman M A Yusufali over land he acquired during the LDF rule for building the Lulu Mall at Kochi.

"He (Yusufali)has not done anything illegal. I have checked the matter with the then local administration minister Paloli Muhammadkutty (also from CPI-M). Everything was done based on tender proceedings," he told reporters here.

He said some of his party functionaries in Kochi could have made statements otherwise without understanding things properly.

"Our district secretary himself has realised the matter and retracted what he had said earlier," he said.
 

Asked about the row over Yusufali taking land belonging to Cochin Port Trust in lease allegedly below market rates for building an international convention centre, the CPI(M) leader said "you should ask that question to Yusufali himself."

After the port trust land issue sparking controversy Yusufali had yesterday said in Dubai that he would return the land at Bolgatty island in Kochi if the CPT returned the money he had paid.