Team Herald
PANJIM: Former Goa Cricket Association (GCA) treasurer Akbar Mulla, one of four persons accused of misappropriating Rs 1 crore from the fund released by BCCI moved the local court seeking anticipatory bail as he alleged political conspiracy behind filing the case against him.
“I am in no way connected with the crime. I am falsely implicated due to political rivalry and in order to sabotage my political career by the ruling party, and that I have not taken even a single paisa from the mount of rupees from the GCA account,” Mulla, represented by his legal counsel Swapnil Nashinolkar said in the anticipatory bail plea filed before the District and Sessions Court.
The Economic Offenses Cell (EOC) of Goa Police registered a fresh case against the then President of GCA and ex-minister Dayanand Narvekar, GCA President Chetan Desai, Secretary Vinod Phadke and Mulla on charges of hatching criminal conspiracy and depositing Rs 1 crore in a fake bank account during the year 2006-07. The funds of TV subsidy were sent by the Board of Control for Cricket in India to the association, the complaint states.
“The accused opened a fraudulent bank account of GCA in Shiroda Urban Cooperative Credit Society Ltd. IDC, Kundaim and thereafter deposited the cheque of Rs 1 crore… the cheque was sent to ICICI, Ponda branch for deposit and clearance and further in a short period the accused siphoned of the money for their personal gain,” the FIR reads as.
“I am the vice president of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee and intend to contest election for MLA from Shiroda constituency… If arrested in the crime, it will cause a stigma to my political career, ruin my future prospects and tarnish my image,” he stated assuring the court that he would cooperate with the investigation agency. The application will be heard on December 27. This is the second case against the GCA officials.
Mulla was arrested in the previous case and bailed out thereafter.
