Kochi: The Vigilance is questioning former PWD Secretary and senior IAS officer, T. O. Sooraj, in the Palarivattom over-bridge corruption case. It was during his tenure as Secretary that the contract to build the over-bridge was given.
Initial investigations reveal that corruption began at the stage when tender procedures were going on. Vigilance also found out irregularities in the use of funds for the construction.
Former Minister for Public Works and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader, V. K. Ebrahimkunju was also questioned by the Vigilance earlier. He was called to the Vigilance office in Kochi and questioned there about the irregularities in the over-bridge construction.
Ebrahimkunju maintained that the only thing he did was to give permission to the construction of the bridge and denied any involvement in the corruption. The Vigilance officers say that the former Minister will be called again for questioning.
The corruption is said to have occurred during the Congress led United Democratic Front (UDF) rule in Kerala. The UDF government had shunned the National Roadways Department and favoured the Roads and Bridges Development Corporation to build the over-bridge.
Many, at the time itself, had considered this as a ploy by the UDF to indulge in corruption.
Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had confiscated the assets of T. O. Sooraj for amassing wealth beyond his means. The ED confiscated wealth amounting to Rs. 8.80 crore and included four vehicles and land in thirteen places.
