TEAM HERALD
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PANJIM: Another former Congress minister has come under the scanner of Anti Corruption Branch with former minister for Provedoria Manohar (Babu) Azgaonkar being booked for allegedly causing loss to the public exchequer.
Three others ~ Anyssia Viegas, former director of Institute of Public Assistance (Provedoria), Sylvia Lobo and Grace D’Costa, Power of Attorney of Sylvia Lobo have also been booked under sections 120-B of IPC and 13 (2) read with 13 (1)(d)(i)(ii) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, for causing loss to the exchequer.
The ACB has taken cognizance of a complaint filed by Assistant Engineer IPA (Provedoria) PR Rao who alleged that the former Provedoria minister kept the property file with him for nearly two years and eight months from June 23, 2009 to February 23, 2012 and returned it with a direction that the file be submitted after the Code of Conduct is lifted.
The delay caused financial loss to the Provedoria exchequer and ‘wrongful gain to Sylvia Lobo’.
As per the complaint, Viegas without any authorization and approval from her superiors had signed the compromise statement/consent terms in the deputy collector, Mapusa on April 18, 2006 in connection with property under Survey No 223/2 admeasuring 5925 sq mtrs.
The property was in possession of the Provedoria and this has figured on the Form I and XIV. The deputy collector passed an order to delete the name of Provedoria from Form I and XIV and Sylvia Lobo’s name was retained and D’Souza Mahilashram Provedoria Assistance Publica-da-Candolim was deleted.
The appeal filed by the Provedoria in the court of Administrative Tribunal was dismissed in 2009 and subsequently, the Law department advised the Provedoria to file an appeal before the High Court after obtaining administrative approval from the then Government.
