THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) will form a special team having about six members to probe the cases registered against former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter Veena T and son-in-law P A Mohamed Riyas in connection with the CMRL-Exalogic payoff case.
The order regarding the team’s constitution is expected on Wednesday even as the vigilance top brass remained busy on Tuesday preparing a list of officers who could be included in the list.
Meanwhile, sources said the department is yet to arrive on a decision on who should lead the team. SP Emmanuel Paul, who prepared both the FIRs, will be hanging up his boots after two months and the department is in two minds whether to appoint him as the head.
If not him, the department will go for one of the two newly arrived SPs, who came on deputation on Tuesday. The probe will be directly monitored by VACB director Manoj Abraham.
Since constituting the special team requires government sanction as per the Kerala High Court order, the VACB will approach the government on Wednesday. The team will have officers from Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode ranges as the accused persons hail from these places.
The investigation, however, will gain momentum only after the HC division bench delivers its verdict on the plea filed by Pinarayi, Veena T and Riyas challenging the single judge order directing the vigilance to file cases against them. The statements of the accused will be recorded after the verdict.
The VACB had on Monday registered two cases, charging the trio with corruption and criminal conspiracy.
