Idduki : Rift widens inside Congress following fraud running into crores. Four members of the Nedukandam-headquarted Dealers Co-op Society in Idukki governed by Congress have put in their resignation. The en masse resignation comes after news broke on the scam relating to bank deposits .
The Audit department detected irregularities totaling to Rs 12 crore in the primary investigations itself under Sec 65 Cooperative Societies. However, the depositors and Action Council members allege corruption approximates to Rs 36 crore. Board members resigning in the wake of scam are Congress members MA Aziz, Rudarshanan and Saji Eldos, and Kerala Congress M member NM Thankachan.
Much of the corruption took place while Congress Manadalam president Tommy Joseph was the bank president and Congress leaders including Ibrahimkutty Kallar were Board members.
Loans were fraudulently made out to various members of the Board while depositors were returned their money to meet pressing needs. Staff at the bank including its Secretary were complicit with the corruption involving prominent names in Congress who engaged in fraud. Later when the scam made news, the staff and Board members helped secretary with hideout while suspended from job. The Action Council says the secretary has flown to Canada.
Congress seniors meanwhile are mum on the issue even as the Action Council put up protests. With prominent Congress leaders involved and ensuing pressure from Congress, the police are hesitant to proceed with measures they otherwise do.
The depositors at the Society are mostly people from poor backgrounds whose collective investment runs into crores. The money embezzled are their savings to meet children’s education needs, medical care, house construction, marriage needs, etc And, owing to irregularities, these depositors were being neither paid interest or capital.
