New Delhi:
Speaking to NDTV, former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee called the controversial appointment of PJ Thomas as the head of the vigilance commission a mistake.
Yesterday, the Supreme Court too expressed its discomfort in Thomas' appointment as the CVC. "We are concerned that if a person is an accused in a criminal case how will he function as CVC?" the court said.
(Read: How can Thomas be CVC, asks Supreme Court)The government has submitted in court the file on Thomas' appointment, which has been challenged by a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that alleges Thomas is involved in two different controversies - the 2G scam and an oil-import case.
Till recently, Thomas was a secretary in the Telecom Ministry, currently at the epicentre of charges that the country lost 1.76 lakh crores because former minister A Raja and his bureaucrats undervalued 2G spectrum deliberately, and gave it at throwaway prices to companies they favoured.
The case against PJ Thomas• In 1992, the Kerala government said there was a shortage of edible oil in the state, and imported 15,000 tonnes of palm oil from Malaysia for the public distribution service network.
• The government paid more than market rates, resulting in a loss of Rs. 2.8 crores.
• Thomas was Food Secretary of the Kerala government at the time.
• He was later named an accused in the case, after a report by the Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau said he "played a pivotal role in the import of palm oil."
• The court hearing the case has not dismissed the charges against him. He was granted bail.