To dodge cash-for-jobs scam, CM trying to defame me: Vijai

Panaji: Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai on Sunday criticised chief minister Pramod Sawant for diverting attention from the cash-for-jobs scam by attempting to defame him through the mention of his friend’s name in a ‘share market’ scam.

Sardesai challenged Sawant to uncover the identity of the ‘madam’ behind the cash-for-jobs scam and to bring back Myron Rodrigues, who is involved in the share market scam, so that victims can recover their money.

Reacting to Sawant’s statement in Margao regarding the share market scam, Sardesai expressed satisfaction with Sawant’s commitment to apprehend the accused in that scam case, which was registered in July 2023.

“To make such a statement, I made 25 calls to the CM and met him several times,” Sardesai said.

He added that he wanted to clarify one matter. “Sawant wants to divert the issue by naming my friend and defaming me,” he said. “Today, the main issue is the cash-for-jobs scam. He wants to divert it and shift the focus to this issue. Don’t divert the issue and don’t defame me.”

Sardesai went on to say, “I don’t disown them; they are my friends. Whatever money they received from Rodrigues, they deposited it in a Mumbai court.”

The Fatorda MLA said the Mumbai court issued a certificate stating that there was nothing left to recover, and hence their accounts, which were frozen, should be unfrozen. “While this was happening, what were you (CM) doing? And now, when entire Goa is searching for the ‘madam,’ you come to tell us these stories?” Sardesai said.

He added that Sawant wants to divert the issue and defame him as well. “The people of Goa are not foolish. They have taken a pledge to find who the ‘madam’ is,” Sardesai said. “We have also resolved that we will not remain silent until we find out who the ‘madam’ is. I will not speak on the ‘madam’ until we have the papers in our hands.”

Sardesai said his friends sought anticipatory bail because police have become like a caged parrot. “The court granted them relief. We are not here to cheat the people of Fatorda; instead, we spend money,” he said. “We will get the details of who you have taken money from. I challenge the CM to tell people that I have not raised this issue with him.”

He added, “My friends were cheated in this case. Don’t lie. Get him back and return the victims’ money. Don’t divert the cash-for-jobs issue, and catch the ‘madam’.”

The Fatorda MLA stated that he also met DySP Tushar Vernekar several times, and he helped to some extent. “He made one mistake while helping us; first, he should have applied for a blue corner notice instead of directly applying for a red corner notice,” Sardesai said. “Because of this mistake, Goa police did not reach a logical conclusion in the case.”

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