KOCHI: The CBI, which has registered a case against K M Abraham, the chief principal secretary to the CM, will investigate the wealth amassed by him between January 1, 2003, and December 31, 2015, according to the FIR.
The scope of the CBI investigation differs from Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) probe, which covered the assets Abraham acquired between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2009, before giving him a clean chit.
As per the CBI FIR, it is alleged that during the 2003-2015 period, Abraham, being a public servant, amassed wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income. The assets under scrutiny include an apartment at Millennium in Thycaud, Thiruvananthapuram, valued at Rs 1 crore, an apartment in Kohinoor City, Mumbai, worth Rs 3 crore, and a shopping complex in Kadappakada, Kollam, valued at Rs 8 crore.
The CBI has booked Abraham under Sections 13(2) and 13(1)(e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, related to misconduct by a public servant and possession of disproportionate assets.
The agency has already recorded the statement of activist Jomon Puthenpurackal, on whose petition the Kerala High Court had directed the CBI to register a case against the retired IAS officer. The agency will summon Abraham soon to record his statement. Devraj P, the CBI Additional SP, Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Kochi, is leading the probe.
In 2015, Jomon had approached the vigilance court in Thiruvananthapuram seeking an investigation into allegations of disproportionate wealth against Abraham. The VACB conducted a preliminary inquiry and concluded that Abraham had not amassed illegal wealth. The VACB report said Abraham’s total assets between 2000 and 2009 were valued at Rs 1.21 crore, his income was Rs 1.81 crore, expenditures amounted to Rs 22.27 lakh, and savings stood at approximately Rs 1.59 crore.
Dissatisfied with the findings, Jomon challenged the vigilance court’s decision to give Abraham a clean chit in the HC. Upon reviewing the VACB’s preliminary report, the HC observed that Abraham possessed substantial movable and immovable assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.