25 May 2022  |   06:34am IST

Goa opposes Mauvin’s plea for discharge in power rebate case

Additional Sessions Judge-I posts the matter for arguments on June 7

Team Herald

MARGAO: The State government has strongly opposed Panchayat Minister Godinho’s plea for discharge in the power rebate case. 

It is pertinent to note that the matter has already been chargesheeted and three witnesses have been examined.

On Monday, Public Prosecutor Adv Sanjay V Samant filed his reply on behalf of the State before the Additional Sessions Court-I, Margao, praying for dismissal of application filed by Godinho.

Godinho, the then power minister had moved an application before the Court on April 5 this year, praying to stop the proceedings and to discharge him of the offences charged with. The application was made by his lawyer Adv Arun Bras de Sa during the last hearing when the matter came up before the Court. 

Though the State is represented by Public Prosecutor Adv D Korgaonkar, Adv Samant filed the reply since the former was on leave. Public Prosecutor Samant stated that the application filed by Godinho was bad in law, not maintainable and deserves to be dismissed. 

He said that the Court after considering all the material all record has come to a conclusion to frame charges against all the accused under Sections 409, 420, 365 and 471 read with 120 B of IPC and  under Section 13 (1)(d) (i) and (iii) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. 

The Public Prosecutor stated that the case is warrant triable charge is already explained to the accused and three witnesses have been examined and the matter is fixed for further evidence. Since the Court has followed the procedure pertaining to the summary filed before it, Adv Samant said that objection at this stage was not maintainable and prayed that the application filed by Godinho be dismissed.

Additional Sessions Judge-I, Vincent D’Silva has now posted the matter for arguments on June 7.

The  Crime  Branch  had filed a charge sheet against the then Power Minister Mauvin Godinho, then chief electrical engineer and others including two steel industries in connection with the alleged Rs 4.52 crore power rebate scam. One of the accused died since.