THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Former Public Works Minister Ebrahim Kunju on Wednesday told reporters here that there is no need for him to respond to former PWD secrettary TO Sooraj’s allegations. He said Palarivattom flyover had only a technical fault and added there was nothing wrong in paying mobilisation advance to the contractors.
Ebrahim Kunju said advance money was paid even for the construction of Edappally bridge. He said he would stand by the position taken by the state government and E Sreedharan regarding the reconstruction of the flyover.
Meanwhile, all-India general secretary of the Indian Union Muslim League P K Kunhalikutty, MP, came out in defence of his party collegue and said there was no proof against Ebrahim Kunju in the case.
The allegations of Sooraj, who is arraigned in the case and jailed, was wrong and Ebrahim Kunju had not done any corrupt act, Kunhalikutty told reporters here. “Ebrahim Kunju had just cleared the file which had come to him. The Muslim League had conducted a detailed study on the matter and had found that the former minister was innocent,” Kunhalikutty said.
Sooraj had told the High Court that he had sanctioned and paid the advance money of `8.25 crore to RDS Project Ltd, the firm engaged to build the flyover, as per the directions of Ebrahim Kunju. Sooraj said it was he who had suggested charging an interest of 7 per cent from the builders for the advance. The advance money was adjusted when the bills were cleared and hence there was no loss to the exchequer, Sooraj had told the court.
LDF demands legal action against ex-min
T’Puram: The state government should take legal action against former works minister V K Ebrahim Kunju in the wake of the revelations made by former PWD secretary T O Sooraj, LDF convener A Vijayaraghavan has demanded. In a statement issued here, the CPM leader said the then UDF leadership cannot absolve itself of the responsibility. “It cannot be said that only one minister was behind the irregularities. The ongoing Vigilance investigation should bring out the involvement of all those who were behind the corruption,” he said.