TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Nuvem MLA Francisco (Mickky) Pacheco, currently serving a jail sentence, will be allowed to attend the coming monsoon Assembly session in civil clothes and not the jail uniform. The month-long monsoon assembly session is likely to commence in the last week of July and the Assembly has issued a bulletin to all MLAs informing them of Pacheco’s conviction and his current imprisonment at Sada sub-jail in Vasco.
Speaking to media persons, Speaker Rajendra Arlekar said there is no ban on Pacheco participating in the session as he remains an MLA. “He can ask questions, move motions and be a part of the session like any other MLA,” the speaker said. He added that this depends on permission from the court.
Asked whether Pacheco will have to appear in jail uniform, Arlekar said he would be allowed to wear only civil clothes in the House.
Responding to a similar question, Legislature secretary N B Subhedar said there are certain rules of the House, which every legislator and member attending has to follow. “The members have to wear formal or civil clothes. How can we allow him (Pacheco) in jail uniform or in half pant?” he said.
The secretary said there will be a change in Pacheco’s seating arrangement as he is now an MLA when he earlier was a minister.
Subhedar said that the Inspector General of Prison has already informed the legislature department that Pacheco is currently in the jail.
Pacheco had resigned from the cabinet in April after the Supreme Court refused to quash the sentence given by Judicial Magistrate First Class, Margao convicting the MLA for slapping a junior electrical engineer.
