PANJIM: Claiming that Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) reports have exposed the State government, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday said that the government had compromised the formalin in fish case under pressure from fish agents.

Addressing the media, AAP convenor Elvis Gomes said, “AAP had been saying from day one that the government was hiding the real facts and thereby endangering the health of Goans in the formalin in fish case. AAP on September 5, had made an explosive claim that there exists a report that the FDA was suppressing, as it contained facts that expose the role of the FDA Director herself in misleading the public on the issue.”

He said, “This report, by designated officer Iva Fernandes, has now been made public and contains shocking facts and events that clearly establish the intervention of FDA Director influencing the investigation and compromising on public health thus committing a crime against the people of Goa.”

He further questioned as to why FDA Director Jyoti Sardessai calls the designated officer from the phone of M Ibrahim, president of wholesale fish association? Also, why did the FDA Director restrain the designated officer from carrying out her duties and responsibilities under the FSS Act?

“Why did the FDA Director bypass the Designated Officer when announcing the lab test results which gave a clean chit to the fish samples, claiming that the formalin found was ‘within permissible limits’?” he added.

AAP leader Valmiki Naik also said that the onus now shifts on the Health Minister to reveal the full truth and punish all those involved in suppressing the incident by ensuring a criminal case is registered. “The report would be placed before the High Court of Bombay at Goa in the petition filed, at the next hearing on September 18,” he said.