THIRUVANATHAPURAM: In a surprise act, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy allotted Cooperation portfolio to C N Balakrishnan who is facing a Vigilance inquiry for the anomalies in Thrissur Cooperative Bank which he had been heading.Balakrishnan is the prime accused in the case (No. VC 7/2010) in which 14 other directors of the bank are also arraigned as accused.Along with Balakrishnan, M K Muneer, who had been punished by a lower court in a cheque case and is facing Vigilance inquiry in a number of cases, also joined Chandy's Cabinet on Monday. Adoor Prakash and P J Joseph, against whom Vigilance cases are pending, have also found their places in the Cabinet. The other two ministers P K Kunhalikutty and T M Jacob also face allegations levelled by the Opposition. With six tainted Ministers on the board, the LDF will take up an intense campaign against corruption targeting the new Government. The two-day meeting of the CPM state committee that will begin here on Tuesday will finalise the details of the campaign.Already, the CPM and CPI raised their objections against the reinvestigation into the ration depot scandal in which Adoor Prakash is an accused. The case against Balakrishnan dates back to 2007 when the Registrar of Cooperative Societies dismissed the director board of Thrissur District Cooperative Bank.The case against Balakrishnan is that he and fellow directors incurred a loss of Rs 4.50 crore to the exchequer by manipulating the conditions of a onetime settlement scheme announced for defaulters. The manipulations took place during the period 200107. M K Muneer was sentenced for twoyear imprisonment and a fine of Rs 25 lakh in a cheque case.He later obtained a stay from the High Court. Muneer is an accused in two Vigilance cases pending before the Thrissur Vigilance court and faces inquiry in 33 other cases.All these cases are based on Muneer's decisions as PWD Minister during 2001-06. Sources said Muslim League denied the PWD portfolio to Muneer on ethical ground.Adoor Prakash is an accused in a corruption case about collecting a bribe of Rs 10 crore for allotting 35 wholesale ration depots.Recently, one of the complainant in the case N K Abdu Rahman withdrew his complaint and Vigilance director ordered a reinvestigation into the case which had already been chargesheeted. P J Joseph, who failed to repay Rs 25 lakh which he had taken as loan for promoting horticulture while serving as the president of Indian Floriculturist Federation, has obtained a stay for the Government Order directing him to repay the loan amount with an interest of 18 percent.
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