TN Minister claims he paid bribe under DMK rule; ex-minister seeks probe
Tamil Nadu Finance Minister N Marie Wilson alleged in the state Assembly on Monday that he was forced to pay a bribe to the School Education Department during the previous DMK government, prompting former School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi to demand a Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) probe into the claim.
Wilson, who represents the ruling TVK, told the Assembly he was a "direct witness" to corruption under the DMK dispensation and said he was compelled to pay a large sum to secure approvals for his educational institutions at a location in T Nagar, Chennai.
"I am the evidence; I am the witness," Wilson said, adding that he could specify the exact amount paid at a place called Global Educational Trust in T Nagar. He said he was prepared to face a defamation case or an inquiry, according to his statement in the Assembly.
Responding to the allegation, Poyyamozhi, a DMK leader, accused Wilson of making baseless claims driven by personal vendetta and demanded immediate action against him.
"For a minister to stand in the Assembly and repeatedly say 'I gave the bribe' is a grave mistake," Poyyamozhi said, urging the DVAC director to summon and investigate Wilson without delay since the minister had described himself as a direct witness to the alleged bribery.
Poyyamozhi alleged that Wilson's accusations were made in retaliation for legal action taken against his educational institutions in December last year. He said education department officials had found that Wilson was running a school in Pallavaram without proper permission, allegedly using forged documents originally obtained for Krishnagiri district.
"A case was filed over this, and he has already been summoned for inquiry," Poyyamozhi said.
Poyyamozhi further accused the TVK minister of collecting capitation fees from poor students at the colleges he runs. "We are ready to face whatever he claims," he said.
(Inputs from PTI)
