All accused in Lavalin case will be punished: Achuthanandan
By IANSSunday, March 29, 2009
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan Sunday said all accused in the Lavalin corruption case will be punished. Achuthanandan’s bete noire and state Communist Party of India-Marxist secretary Pinarayi Vijayan is an accused in the case.
‘The court has given three months’ time in this case for further action. Vijayan has already said that there is nothing in the Lavalin case. All those accused in corruption cases say they are innocent till the verdict comes,’ Achuthanandan told reporters here.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has named Vijayan as the ninth accused for wrongly awarding contract to Canadian company SNC Lavalin for renovation of two hydro-power projects when he was the state power minister 12 years ago.
On Feb 4, the government sought legal opinion on the CBI’s petition seeking the governor’s sanction to prosecute Vijayan.
According to rules, the governor’s permission is necessary to prosecute a minister or a former minister. The court later gave the government three months’ time to take a decision.
When asked if he will step down if the party doesn’t fare well in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Achuthanandan shot back: ‘No, I will not resign.’
In the 2004 polls the Congress-led United Democratic Front managed to win just one seat out of 20 and the then chief Minister A.K. Antony resigned taking ‘moral responsibility’ for the poor performance.
