CEC Gyanesh Kumar faces fresh Kerala vigilance probe in 2006 corruption case

CEC Gyanesh Kumar

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Keralam home minister Ramesh Chennithala has reopened a 2006 corruption case against chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, ordering a fresh vigilance inquiry into allegations tied to a World Bank road project and the suicide of a Malaysian engineer who named the then state public works secretary in a note each addressed to his wife and boss.

'Harrassed officials'

“The matter is serious. That’s why I ordered the inquiry,” Chennithala told reporters here, alleging that the original investigation was abandoned midway.The allegations pertain to Kerala State Transport Project launched with World Bank aid for road upgrades.Little doubt Gyanesh probe was ‘hushed up’: ChennithalaThe contract for the World Bank-aided road development project was awarded to PATI-BEL, a consortium of Malaysian and Kochi-based companies, with engineer Lee See Been as the project manager.

While the project was under way, Lee returned to Kuala Lumpur and died by suicide, alleging in the two notes he left behind that PWD officials withheld bills without valid reasons and were hostile towards him for refusing to pay bribes.Kumar was removed from the post based on the allegations, but the inquiry instituted into the extent of the suspected corruption ostensibly remained incomplete.Chennithala said CEC’s constitutional office does not preclude the possibility of him being reinvestigated. He was the head of the department where the alleged wrongdoing occurred.