Thrissur, Monday, February 14, 2011: The Vigilance would submit charge sheet in Thrissur Vigilance Court today in connection with the case relating to alleged fraud in the transport of fly ash to the public-sector Malabar Cements Ltd. (MCL) at Valayar.

The case registered in 2008 have seven accused including controversial industrialist VM Radhakrishnan.

Earlier, the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has filed a charge sheet at a Vigilance court in Thrissur, naming the former Chief Secretary John Mathai as an accused, for alleged fraud in the transport of fly ash to the public-sector Malabar Cements Ltd. (MCL) at Valayar, causing a loss of Rs.16.17 crore.

S.S. Moni, former Managing Director of MCL, and N. Krishnakumar, former Director of Mining and Geology, have also been named in the charge sheet filed by Safiulla Syed, Deputy Superintendent of Police.

The case is that the company had given a contract to S.R.V. Transport, merely a letterhead company with no fleet of its own, for transport of fly ash from the thermal power projects of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board Ltd. at a very high rate without inviting tenders.
Mathai’s name has been included as he was the Chairman of the company when the contract was given. Mr. Krishnakumar was a director.

The accused have been charged under sections 13(2) read with 13 (1-D) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and sections 409, 420, 468, 471 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code.

The charge sheet said the contract was given without the prior approval of the board of directors of the company. The officials accepted the offer made by V.M. Radhakrishnan, contractor named in the charge sheet, to supply fly ash.