‘Mani son tried to offer Rs 10-cr bribe’

The Opposition has even threatened that Mani would not be allowed to attend the Assembly to present the budget.

Kerala Finance Minister K M Mani, who is facing a probe into bribery allegations over granting bar licences, is again facing Opposition fire for allegedly offering bribe through his son for withdrawing the complaint against him, and illegally staying the revenue recovery of traders, causing a loss of Rs 116 crore to the state.

On Tuesday, CPM legislator V Shivankutty placed documents before the assembly to substantiate the allegation that Mani had interfered in the revenue recovery proceedings against 211 traders, who should have paid Rs 116 crore to the state exchequer. Revenue recovery procedure is meant to collect tax arrears.

He also produced audio CDs containing a purported conversation of bar hotel owners in which their association leader Biju Ramesh was informing other members that a middleman entrusted by Mani’s family member had offered Rs 10 crore to Ramesh to settle the complaint against Mani. In another CD, Mani’s son and Kottayam MP Jose K Mani was purportedly heard offering Rs 10 crore to the complainant through a bar hotel owner. The CDs were later released to the media.

Shivankutty said as per the data from March 2014, the minister had illegally helped 211 traders get exceptions from the revenue recovery process. He had stayed the process in which all beneficiaries were traders close to Mani. A shopping mall in Kochi got a relief of Rs 11.96 crore from revenue recovery, he said. Mani said the allegations against him were meant to mislead the public. The stay given for revenue recovery was conditional, he said. Traders were allowed to pay 30 per cent of tax arrears and the rest in 10 instalments. This decision was ratified by the Cabinet, said Mani.

Meanwhile, the CPM-led Opposition has threatened to prevent Mani from presenting the state budget on Friday. The assembly Tuesday witnessed a verbal duel between Opposition leader V S Achuthananadan and Mani. Quoting the Bible, Achuthananadan said Mani would go to hell. “What do you benefit if you gain the whole world, but lose your own soul,” Achuthananadan asked Mani, a practising Catholic.

Mani retorted, “VS is anti-Christ and his words were like Satan preaching gospel.”

Source:: Indian Express