The Kerala Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) on Wednesday claimed in the High Court that it had not come across any evidence so far in the bar scam pertaining to the allegation that Finance and law Minister KM Mani had taken `1 crore as bribe from the State's bar owners for helping them in getting licences renewed for bars closed due to lack of facilities.
In the probe progress report it presented to the court, the Vigilance said that it had recorded the statements of 19 individuals including Biju Ramesh, the Kerala Bar Hotels Association's working president who had leveled the allegation against Mani, and Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan but most of them had only indirect knowledge of the alleged bribery.
The High Court had demanded a probe progress report on the bar scam from the VACB on the basis of a petition filed by CPI legislator VS Sunil Kumar seeking orders for a proper enquiry by registering a case against Mani, the senior-most Minister in the Congress-led UDF Government and chairman of the Kerala Congress (M), third biggest UDF constituent.
The Vigilance is currently holding a mere "quick verification" into the allegation against Mani as per the instructions of Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, which is to be completed in 45 days. The Opposition had sought more serious and effective investigations but the Government had rejected those demands saying that the allegation lacked substance.
The UDF Government, which had survived with great difficulty the infamous solar scam, had fallen into a deep crisis after Biju Ramesh alleged on October 31 that Mani had demanded a bribe of `5 crore to help the bar owners to get the licences renewed for the bars closed on March 31 and that he had already been paid `1 crore.