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Godinho admitted to hospital

Sandesh Prabhudesai in Panjim

Police arrested Mauvin Godinho, Goa's former power minister, on Wednesday afternoon in connection with a multi-crore power rebate scandal. They also raided his two houses and five business establishments.

Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who had filed a police complaint in the case on May 13, 1998, when he was an opposition legislator, said the action proved that the law was catching up with Congressman Godinho. "Khuda ke ghar mein der hai, andher nahi," he quipped.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Karnal Singh said they would produce Godinho in court in the next 24 hours to seek police custody. Meanwhile, the Congress legislator got himself admitted in hospital last night to avoid the police lock-up.

Godinho, 42, is the first politician in Goa to be arrested for corruption. The state has witnessed a spate of defections since 1990, obviously to generate wealth through illegal means.

Godinho has been arrested on charges of cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy and corruption. The police are probing the disproportionate wealth he has allegedly amassed during his political career since 1989.

The main charge against Godinho, Singh said, is the misuse of his powers as a public authority to help himself and others amass wealth.

In blatant violation of the rules of the state government, Godinho revived a dead notification during his tenure as power minister in 1996, granting 25 per cent rebate to over 210 industries, including power-guzzling ones, without seeking Cabinet approval.

The state government had in 1991 issued a notification granting this subsidy on power for new industrial units, which had applied for power connections after October 1991, for five years.

Subsequently, the state had rescinded the notification on March 31, 1995, owing to a financial crunch.

While quashing the notification, which was earlier suspended by the state government in 1998, the high court had ruled last month that Godinho's action could not be considered a government decision because there was no compliance with any rules.

Observing that Godinho had neither sought administrative nor financial approval while issuing two notifications in this regard within three months in 1996, the court also directed the government to take consequential action in the matter.

Besides Godinho, the police are probing the involvement of the officials and industrialists who conspired with him. "They will also be arrested shortly," DIG Singh said.

Godinho's action cost the state about Rs 9 crore [Rs 90 million]. The police reopened the file after Parrikar became chief minister and interrogated Godinho thoroughly.

Though Godinho had mentioned in the file that the two notifications were issued after seeking approval from Chief Minister Pratapsing Rane, the latter (who is now speaker of the state assembly) told police during interrogation that the file was never brought before him.

Singh claims that Godinho amassed wealth through this illegal deal and proof of this will be brought forth shortly. Godinho, however, has already termed the action political vendetta.

EARLIER REPORT:
Mauvin Godinho arrested

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