Amidst the somber news of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s passing, his life was not without its share of controversies. Let us take a closer look at some of these controversies that marked his political journey.
One significant controversy was the Kerala solar panel scam that unfolded during Chandy’s second ministry in 2013. The opposition, led by LDF, accused the government of corruption in connection with this scam, making it a focal point during the 2016 Kerala Legislative Assembly election. The scam involved a solar energy company, Team Solar, using two women to establish political connections, including within the Chief Minister’s office. They managed to dupe several influential individuals, extracting hefty payments for business partnerships or installing solar power units.
Another controversy that emerged ahead of the 2016 Kerala Legislative Assembly election was related to the Vizhinjam International Seaport project. The opposition, spearheaded by CPI(M), raised allegations of corruption surrounding this ambitious project. In response, the First Vijayan ministry appointed a judicial commission, headed by Justice C. N. Ramachandran, to investigate the matter in May 2017.
The Pattoor Land Case was another controversy that arose prior to the 2016 Kerala Legislative Assembly election and was seized upon by the LDF-led opposition. However, in February 2018, the Kerala High Court highlighted that the Vigilance had registered the First Information Report (FIR) based on an erroneous report prepared by Jacob Thomas. The court pointed out that the claim of the property vesting with Kerala Water Authority was unsupported by any document. Consequently, the UDF government received a clean chit as the High Court dismissed the case.
In a controversy dating back to 1991-92, the Palmolein Oil Import Scam came to the forefront. The scandal revolved around alleged irregularities in the import of palm olein during the K. Karunakaran-led United Democratic Front government. The LDF-led opposition accused Chandy, who was the finance minister at the time, of involvement in the corruption. However, a 2011 Vigilance probe absolved Chandy of any role in the misconduct. The vigilance report clarified that Chandy had no knowledge of the details surrounding the decision to import palmolein through a Singapore-based firm. Thus, Chandy received a clean chit from the vigilance probe.