Bengaluru: Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao stated that the Judge Michael D'Cunha Commission report on corruption in the procurement of PPE kits has recommended the prosecution of former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and former Minister Sriramulu.
In response to concerns about irregularities in the PPE kit purchases, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao stated, "A commission, led by retired High Court Judge Michael D'Cunha, was formed to investigate. The commission submitted a detailed thousand-page report, recommending the prosecution of Yediyurappa and Sriramulu. Our cabinet sub-committee is currently investigating the matter. This is not a personal inquiry. While in the opposition, we conducted our investigation and submitted a report to the government. At that time, they ignored the rules and made a decision. After coming to power, we handed over the report to a commission headed by a retired judge. The first report has been submitted, and the final report will follow," Rao explained.
Gundurao criticised the irregularities in the PPE kit purchases, saying, "Action must be taken against the officials involved. They should be served notices and held accountable. This issue is widespread, so we must proceed cautiously and follow the rules. They have looted public funds. The Chief Minister and the Minister are implicated in this. Illegal activities occurred in the purchase of PPE kits. Despite a chance to procure kits within the country, they chose to import them from Hong Kong, paying the company an additional Rs 14 crore."
Gundurao stated, "We held the first cabinet sub-committee meeting on this matter, but the second meeting was delayed due to the by-elections. We have not politicised the issue. Action will be taken once the final report is received. The committee has recommended recovering the money. They procured substandard materials, including low-quality supplies from certain sources, as outlined in the commission's report. The report also indicates that this was due to the actions of then-CM Yediyurappa. Despite an initial purchase, they bought more, even though the items were available at a lower cost domestically. Should the SIT investigate, or should an FIR be filed? We will discuss this in the next cabinet sub-committee meeting."
Political malice behind the recommendation for the prosecution: BS Yediyurappa
Speaking in Ballari, former CM BS Yediyurappa dismissed the government's recommendation for prosecution in the Covid scam, claiming, "There is political malice behind this. We did not commit any scam; everything was done within the legal framework. This issue is very old, and they are now trying to resurrect it with political motives, hoping to gain from it. But they will not succeed."
"Provide whatever is needed for the investigation. No misconduct occurred during my time in office, and there’s no need to be overly concerned about what’s been given to the prosecution. This case was filed and the inquiry was allowed with malicious intent. Neither I nor former minister B Sriramulu committed any wrongdoing related to COVID. The fear of losing in the upcoming by-elections has driven Siddaramaiah to revive this COVID-related scandal due to a lack of alternatives. At that time, neither I, nor Sriramulu, nor anyone else acted improperly. Public support for our candidates is exceeding expectations in all three constituencies. The strong influence of Prime Minister Modi will be pivotal. I am confident the BJP will secure all three seats," Yediyurappa said.
