THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Reiterating his corruption charges against Fisheries Minister J Mercykutty Amma over a deep-sea fishing deal with a US-based company, Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala on Saturday released purported photos of a meeting between the minister and representatives of the firm as evidence to supplement his allegations.
Responding to the allegation, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said neither the government nor any government department had signed such a contract. Officials with the Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC) signed the MoU without his knowledge, he said.Meanwhile, accusing Chennithala of trying to mislead the fishing community, Mercykutty said the state cannot legally hand over rights of deep-sea fishing to private entities, as only fishermen were authorised to engage in it. I can’t be held responsible for some officer’s actions, she said.