THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Cantonment police on Friday recorded the statement of Haridasan Kummali, who raised bribery charges against a personal staff member of health minister Veena George.
The process went on for nine hours and Haridasan is learnt to have told police that he had paid Rs 1 lakh to Akhil Mathew, a personal staff member of the health minister, and Rs 75,000 to Akhil Sajeev, a CITU leader in Pathanamthitta, to get a job for his daughter-in-law Dr Nitha Raj in National Ayush Mission, in Malappuram. Haridasan also produced a letter sent to him allegedly from a mail id of National Ayush Mission. The details of the amount given to the people for the job were also given to the police.
Police during investigation found that Akhil Mathew’s mobile tower location was in Pathanamthitta on April 9 and 10. As per Haridasan’s allegation, he handed over the money to Akhil Mathew near an autorickshaw stand in front of Secretariat on April 10. Police are also checking the possibility of someone cheating Haridasan by impersonating Mathew.
“The detailed statement of Haridasan has been taken. We have got clarity on the allegations to an extent, however, we need some time to solidify the conclusions with evidence,” said city police commissioner C H Nagaraju.
Meanwhile, Veena George said that the truth over the allegations must come out through a transparent probe. “I stick to what I had said earlier. Initially, Haridasan had given an oral complaint and I asked him to submit a written complaint. The truth behind it has to come out,” she said. tnn
The process went on for nine hours and Haridasan is learnt to have told police that he had paid Rs 1 lakh to Akhil Mathew, a personal staff member of the health minister, and Rs 75,000 to Akhil Sajeev, a CITU leader in Pathanamthitta, to get a job for his daughter-in-law Dr Nitha Raj in National Ayush Mission, in Malappuram. Haridasan also produced a letter sent to him allegedly from a mail id of National Ayush Mission. The details of the amount given to the people for the job were also given to the police.
Police during investigation found that Akhil Mathew’s mobile tower location was in Pathanamthitta on April 9 and 10. As per Haridasan’s allegation, he handed over the money to Akhil Mathew near an autorickshaw stand in front of Secretariat on April 10. Police are also checking the possibility of someone cheating Haridasan by impersonating Mathew.
“The detailed statement of Haridasan has been taken. We have got clarity on the allegations to an extent, however, we need some time to solidify the conclusions with evidence,” said city police commissioner C H Nagaraju.
Meanwhile, Veena George said that the truth over the allegations must come out through a transparent probe. “I stick to what I had said earlier. Initially, Haridasan had given an oral complaint and I asked him to submit a written complaint. The truth behind it has to come out,” she said. tnn
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