PANJIM: The Goa government’s decision to drop corruption charges against three Congress MLAs has not gone down well with coalition partner Goa Forward Party (GFP) that has questioned the opposition’s silence on the development.
“The Congress President/High Command should come out openly and speak against dropping the scam charges against its three MLAs, which includes two ex Chief Ministers and the present opposition leader. We challenge Congress to move an adjournment motion on this issue of trying to hush up this monumental crime committed by the then Congress government,” GFP chief spokesperson Trajano D’Mello said on Tuesday.
With Congress forcing adjournments of the ongoing assembly session on the formalin issue last week, GFP sought to know if Congress MLAs will now rush to the well of the House protesting the cabinet decision of hushing up this scam.
“Congress must be celebrating that the trio that stands to benefit from escaping criminal investigation in the scam and the party as a whole must be celebrating. Is (Congress President) Girish (Chodankar) benefited by some kick backs to fight the south Goa Lok Sabha election by depriving Catholic minority community who has always represented South Goa?” he asked, alleging Chodankar would benefit through this decision.
In 2012, the State had filed cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act against former Chief Minister Pratapsingh Rane, former industries Minister Luizinho Faleiro and former Chairman of Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) Chandrakant Kavlekar, as the land allotment to SEZs had taken place during their tenures.
