Says not afraid of FIR, will not file for bail
TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: Asserting that he is innocent and is not involved in any scam, former PWD Minister Churchill Alemao on Tuesday said that the work of a Minister is to give administrative approval and is not liable for lapses, if any, committed by the department engineers.
A day after the Crime Branch registered an FIR against him for the works carried out during his tenure as PWD Minister, Churchill said he is ready to face arrest ruling out the possibility of moving the court for anticipatory bail. “I am not afraid of the FIR. I and my brothers had spent one month and half in jail when Ravi Naik was the Chief Minister, but the Court had given me justice and the people of Loutolim had voted for me in the by-polls”, he told the media on Tuesday.
Lashing out at Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar for witch hunting, Churchill accused Parrikar for stooping low in politics. “The Vigilance was conducting an inquiry into the complaint. I was even called for questioning, but now the Crime Branch has registered an FIR. I am not afraid of the FIR since I have not done any scam”, he said. “Since the time the BJP government has come to power, Parrikar has been only targeting me. He wants to target me because I hail from the minority community. But Parrikar should know that only God can destroy me”, he added.
Claiming innocence, Churchill said his work during his tenure as PWD Minister is before the people of Goa, adding “why should I be targeted for any irregularities committed by the department engineers? My work was to only give administrative approval”.
Saying there is no truth in the complaint filed by Sunil Kawthankar in the PWD works, Churchill said even the Special Judge Anuja Prabhudesai had ruled in her order dated September 19 last that the material placed before the court was not sufficient to issue the process and had only ordered investigation for the purpose of deciding whether or not there is sufficient ground for proceeding with Kawthankar’s complaint.
Replying to another question, Churchill said he does not like to offer any comment on the demand made by his arch rivals, Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado and Benaulim MLA Caitu Silva, to file other cases against him. “Parrikar knows that the Congress party is an united lot now and will win both the Lok Sabha seats”, he said, adding that the BJP also did not like his decision to address the meeting called by MLA Vishnu Wagh’s supporters at Agassaim to condemn
the attack on the San Andre legislator.
