the goan I network
MARGAO
In an interesting development, Aam Aadmi Party leader Capt Venzy Viegas lodged a complaint with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) with a plea to register an FIR against all the agencies involved with the Naphtha tanker vessel Nu-Shi Nalini episode.
In his complaint to the Superintendent, CBI, Venzy has called for investigations into the agencies for allowing the vessel into MPT Port with malafide intentions of evading customs duty, attempting to evade customs duty on the cargo through wrong classification as contaminated cargo, allegedly doing acts of omission and commission which have endangered human, animal and marine life, taking over the salvage operations without jurisdiction as the responsibility rests with the MPT and allegedly not following proper tender process in awarding work to a Holland company and further changing to a Norwegian company.
In a statement, Capt Venzy said there is no genuine interest to protect the environment neither from the MPT nor the Goa Government and this has been evident time and time again. “Selfish interest of few individuals and backed by the government is what is killing democracy. Even after making suggestions from time to time via the media how to float the vessel without discharging the cargo, the MPT and government are in the process of finalising the tender to relieve the cargo first by clamming it to be contaminated naphtha,” he said.
Capt Venzy added: “We had warned the MPT and all parties involved that we will report to CBI and we have done it. We shall wait for the CBI to start its investigation and we will closely monitor the tender allotment process. If required we will go to court to safeguard our environment and avoid corruption related to naphtha by not paying the customs duty”.
In his complaint, he said the acts of omission and commission by the agencies involved after the vessel was brought to MPT Goa which ultimately resulted in the grounding of the same posing threat to life, needs investigation as it appears from all the news that is coming in public domain that there was an attempt to evade huge amount of customs duty by attempting to wrongly classify the cargo as contaminated cargo. “This case as such has to be investigated for violation of the provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act as well Customs Act and such other national security or other laws as may be applicable,” he added.
