PANAJI
The tip off was received from the opposing Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party camp with candidate Jagdish Bhobe informing that he alerted the flying squad who swooped down on Silveira’s aides including a former sarpanch of the Siridao Pale VP and arrested them with wads of money in their possession.
“We received information that they were distributing Rs 500 per vote in each household and we called the flying squad. After a body search on their persons an amount of at least Rs 1.50 lakh has been found,” Bhobe told The Goan.
The Congressmen were caught sporting bandanas with the party symbols and while Silveira himself was not present his car is believed to have been impounded and was yet to be searched at the time of going to the press.
When contacted San André Congress candidate Francisco Silveira denied that he was involved in any distribution of money. TGN
“Even I have received such a message on whatsapp that I have been caught distributing money. I am in the military quarters at a meeting. There is no such thing,” Silveira said.
“A lot of such things will happen,” he said.
The counting of the money and the panchanama was still going on at the time of going to press.
Officials of the election commission were unavailable for a comment at the late hour.
Around 200 MGP supporters gathered at the scene after word quickly spread that the Congressmen were caught.
