THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Finance Minister TM Thomas Isaac on Tuesday appeared before the Assembly Privileges and Ethics Committee in connection with disclosing the details of the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) audit report of KII FB for 2018-19. He briefed the committee members for around two hours and submitted the documents to support his arguments. Sources said, he defended his part and told the committee that it was an unusual situation which demanded unusual steps to defend the government.
Speaking to media after appearing before the panel, Isaac said he had not breached the privileges of the assembly by leaking the CAG report to media. He said he explained the circumstances that led him to do so. He is ready to face whatever action as decided by the committee, he said. A Pradeep Kumar, who heads the committee, said the minister explained his stance and the panel will analyse the points raised by him along with the points in the petition filed by V D Satheesan, MLA.
If needed, the panel would hold a sitting before tabling the report, possibly, in the coming session of assembly in January, he said. The assembly can deliberate on the report if required and accept or reject it, he said. This is the first time in the history of the Kerala Assembly that a minister appeared before the ethics committee on charges of breach of privilege. Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan had referred the breach of privilege notice submitted by Satheesan against the minister to the panel.
Satheesan alleged that the minister had infringed on the rights of the house by disclosing the details of the CAG’s report before it was tabled in the assembly. The minister, who initially claimed that he disclosed the details of only the draft report of the CAG, changed his stance later stating that it was the final report.