Team Herald
PANJIM: Social activist Adv Aires Rodrigues on Sunday claimed that government has closed the disproportionate asset (DA) case filed against then Speaker and incumbent Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant.
Rodrigues said as per the information obtained under Right to Information (RTI) from Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of Goa Police, it is been revealed that former chief minister late Manohar Parrikar had on June 16, 2018 granted consent to close of disproportionate case filed against Sawant by activist Sudip Tamankar, without conducting probe into it.
In February, 2017, Tamankar had filed a complaint before ACB against Sawant, the then chairman of Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) accusing him of having acquired disproportionate assets, cheating, criminal breach of trust and criminal conspiracy.
The complainant had accused Sawant of buying properties in the name of a partnership firm M/s Jay Ganesh Developers and Associates set up by him in 2014.
Amongst the properties purchased by Sawant’s partnership firm was land admeasuring 16,480 sq mts at Bordem in Bicholim for Rs 1,31,84,000 and another 19,989 sq mts also at Bordem for an amount of Rs 1,23,34,000.
In the complaint, the attention of the ACB was drawn that in his nomination form for the 2012 Assembly elections, Pramod Sawant had stated that his total income for 2010-2011 was only Rs 4,51,653 and his savings including FDs was a mere Rs 55, 139.
Adv Rodrigues has also stated that in view of the huge wealth amassed by Sawant as a public servant, the Lokayukta should ensure a suo motu probe.
