'Organised act, glaring anomalies': Manoj Abraham on relief fund scam

Thiruvananthapuram: Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, Kerala (VACB) Director Manoj Abraham revealed the scam related to the chief minister’s distress relief fund (CMDRF) is a result of an organised act. 

On Saturday, state-wide raids from VACB unearthed severe corruption in collectorates. It was found that agents, acting as middlemen, influenced officials in various collectorates. Producing fake certificates, including medical certificates, to allot relief funds to the undeserving were some of the anomalies found. 

Manoj Abraham pointed out that vigilance launched the state-wide probe based on the direction of the Chief Minister's Office (CMO). 

"Scrutniy from CMO unearthed the anomalies. Later a vigilance probe was initiated to examine the matter in detail. The raids revealed massive corruption, with most cases reported from Kollam. The role played by officials will be investigated," he said. 

Manoj Abraham noted that the probe would continue since files older than two years in collectorates needed to be examined. He added that VACB would approach applicants, village officers and other individuals linked to corruption unearthed in the collectorates. 

On Wednesday, VACB raids found that many applications submitted for relief funds contain contact details of the agents instead of the applicants. Once the applicant receives the money in his bank account, a share goes to the agents. 

VACB also found that doctors have often issued fake medical certificates in various districts to support the validity of applications. The agents also produced false income certificates along with medical certificates.