Speaking to NDTV, former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee called the controversial appointment of PJ Thomas as the head of the vigilance commission a mistake.
Yesterday, the Supreme Court too expressed its discomfort in Thomas' appointment as the CVC. "We are concerned that if a person is an accused in a criminal case how will he function as CVC?" the court said.
The government has submitted in court the file on Thomas' appointment, which has been challenged by a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that alleges Thomas is involved in two different controversies - the 2G scam and an oil-import case.
Till recently, Thomas was a secretary in the Telecom Ministry, currently at the epicentre of charges that the country lost 1.76 lakh crores because former minister A Raja and his bureaucrats undervalued 2G spectrum deliberately, and gave it at throwaway prices to companies they favoured.
The case against PJ Thomas
• In 1992, the Kerala government said there was a shortage of edible oil in the state, and imported 15,000 tonnes of palm oil from Malaysia for the public distribution service network.
• The government paid more than market rates, resulting in a loss of Rs. 2.8 crores.
• Thomas was Food Secretary of the Kerala government at the time.
• He was later named an accused in the case, after a report by the Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau said he "played a pivotal role in the import of palm oil."
• The court hearing the case has not dismissed the charges against him. He was granted bail.
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