Herald: Ever since the Shah Commission report including its latest part has become pubic there seems to be buzz around you of all politicians and your involvement in illegal mining. You were a senior minister in the Congress government
Joaquim Alemao: If it is proved that I have earned a single paisa of illegal money from mining, I will be out of politics and public life for ever
Herald: But investigative agencies like SIT will not shoot in the dark. Why have they decided to question you?
JA: What is SIT? It is a part of government. SO many inquiries have happened. PAC, PEC, Shah Commission. Nowhere has my name figured in the said inquiries. What is the point of targeting small fry like me? We are sub contractors. We earned our daily bred by supplying machines to mine owners. Will SIT questions thousands of sub contractors?
Herald: But they have chosen to question you. That’s the point
JA: It is purely political. Parrikar is trying to settle political scores. This is vendetta politics at its worst. I am not a mine owner, nor an exporter nor a trader. I have not exported a single gram of ore. My business is the supply of machines to companies for mining. Since when have machine suppliers been questioned for illegal mining?
Herald: It’s probably because of your double role of being Congress minister as well as being associated with mining?
JA: So can’t politicians do legitimate business. I started in 1990 with one machine given to Sesa Goa and then my business grew as all the mine owners gave me work.
Herald: But illegality peaked during Congress rule
JA: It was always happening. It became too much because demand for ore went up. Unlimited exploitation happened. Mining department issued NOCs without any checking. Then there were so many traders and no one controlled them. No one knew whose ore they were exporting. They should be put inside first. But targeting people like us should not be done.
