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MARGAO: Coming out strongly against the government move to register a cheating case against him, former PWD Minister, Churchill Alemao, has said the Parrikar government is afraid of his growing popularity and plans by the Congress to field him for the South Goa Lok Sabha seat.
Addressing the media, Alemao said there’s a political hand behind the move to implicate him in the cheating case, adding that he will fight the case and will not go for anticipatory bail.
Firmly asserting that he has neither cheated the bank nor anyone else, Alemao said he along with 200-odd customers of the bank had approached the bank for a one-time settlement. “I had taken a loan of Rs 2.20 lakh to buy a Contessa car in 1989, but I could not pay the amount. Like me, there were several bank customers who approached the bank for a one-time settlement scheme,” he said.
He demanded to know why the customers are sought to be punished if there was any hanky panky with the scheme. “I fail to understand how the police have registered cases against the customers. If there is some problem with the one-time settlement scheme, the government should dissolve the scheme, but the police cannot harass or implicate the customers,” he added.
Replying to a question, Alemao said the government has come to know that he has asked the Congress party for the Lok Sabha ticket to contest from South Goa. Asked whether his ticket is confirmed by the Congress leadership, Alemao shot back, “I have faith in my Congress leadership that the party will nominate me for the South Goa seat.” The former PWD Minister said he would take to task the police officer who has implicated him in the bank cheating case. “Even if I have to go to the Supreme Court, I will fight it out.”
