PANJIM: The trial of Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho and six others in the 2001 multi crore power scam has been adjourned to June 15 by the North Goa Principal District and Sessions Judge Irshad Agha.
Counsel representing Godinho informed the court that the accused could not be present on Thursday due to personal difficulties. However, Agha directed that Godinho remain present in Court without fail at the next hearing.
Meanwhile, advocate Aires Rodrigues on Thursday filed an intervention application seeking to assist the prosecution with Agha fixing arguments on the application for June 15.
Rodrigues submitted that in public interest he was constrained to intervene as Godinho is a powerful and well-connected politician, currently the Panchayat Minister and may try to derail the due process of law.
On January 17 this year, while disposing Godinho’s petition that had been pending before the Supreme Court for over a decade, a bench upheld the High Court order directing framing of charges and declined to give any relief to the former Power Minister.
Godinho had challenged the order passed by the High Court of Bombay at Goa directing framing of charges against him in the multi-crore power scam case.
