More cases of corruption from Lakshadweep

KOCHI: More allegations surrounding certain officials of the Lakshadweep administration are out. In the latest development, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed before the Kerala High Court pointed out that three top   officials of various departments of the Lakshadweep have been chargesheeted by the CBI for different offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.The PIL, by Puthiyathanoda Ameer of Kavaratti, was filed with a request to issue a direction for initiating disciplinary action against the officials. According to the PIL, the officials, though charged with corruption charges, have been given the responsibility of managing government funds and exercising administrative control over other officials. The three are guilty of economic and welfare offences, the PIL said. Lakshadweep Port, Shipping and Aviation director Syed Ismayil Koya, was earlier sentenced to undergo Rigorous Imprisonment and fine by the Court of the Special Judge, for CBI in Kavaratti. He was chargesheeted for an offence in which he entered into a criminal conspiracy to cheat the administration and to obtain pecuniary advantage by abusing his official position. The charges were related to the purchase of audio-visual equipment at exorbitant rates, by flouting norms. He is currently on bail, the PIL pointed out.Another official S Attakoya, Superintending Engineer of Lakshadweep PWD, is an accused in a case by the CBI under sections of Prevention of Corruption Act. As per the report submitted by the CBI before the court, he was abused his official position as a public servant, and fraudulently awarded the construction work of a power house at Kavaratti. He conspired with a private contractor for this purpose for obtaining pecuniary advantage. The case is currently before the court.The litigation further pointed out that Lakshadweep Education director A Hamza is an accused in a case registered by the CBI in 2009, when he was the director of Port, Shipping and Aviation. As per the report he indulged in grave misconduct and acquired assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. The report said that during a period of eight years, he acquired more income, than what it should have been as per his known sources. This case is also pending before the court.In his PIL, P Ameer pointed out that the convicted officials were given higher responsibility. In a letter to Lakshadweep Administrator Amar Nath, Ameer pointed out that the convicted officers were given charges of major departments, which may lead to possibilities of further corruption.