PETALING JAYA: Still nursing near fatal wounds sustained in the recent party election, MIC president G Palanivel has suffered another blow with a court ruling that the man he recently appointed as his party’s treasurer general had committed fraud.
Some party leaders are pressuring for the removal of R Ramanan from his newly acquired position and prominent lawyer and politician Karpal Singh is calling for criminal proceedings against him.
The High Court yesterday ordered Ramanan to return RM5.5mil to renowned psychiatrist Dr M Mahadevan, ruling that he had fraudulently received the money.
DAP chairman Karpal Singh said today that the High Court should direct the public prosecutor to initiate criminal proceedings against Ramanan and the police should investigate him under Section 420 of the Penal Code. He pointed out that police reports had been lodged against the MIC treasurer general.
“I call upon the Judicial Commissioner to immediately do the needful in the public interest following the judge’s finding that Ramanan had misrepresented himself to psychiatrist Dr M Mahadevan,” Karpal said.
“The law is no respector of persons. No one, however high, can escape the long arm of the law in the event there is sufficient evidence for the institution of a criminal prosecution.
“The matter is a most serious one having regard to the large sum of money involved. That Ramanan is treasurer general of the MIC compounds the position.”
Former MIC Youth chief T Mohan asked Palanivel to take stern action against Ramanan, saying his appointment as treasurer general was proving to be a “real disaster” not only for the party president but also the MIC itself and the Indian community in general.
He said yesterday’s court ruling meant that Ramanan had committed criminal breach of trust.
“It will be a shame to the MIC if we let someone convicted of CBT to be the treasurer-general,” he told FMT.
“This person has the responsibility of handling party funds and properties. The treasurer general must be someone trustworthy, not someone convicted of CBT.
“I hope the president will sack him immediately.”
Former MIC central working committee member Madhu Marimuthu said that even before the court ruling, speculation had been rife that Ramanan was involved in a fraud case.
“The court’s decision has tarnished MIC’s reputation,” he said. “Now his credibility as treasurer general is at stake.”
‘Weakest point’
He said the onus was on the president, who made the appointment, to replace Ramanan immediately or risk losing credibility himself.
“MIC must be saved now from the weakest point in its history and its credibility must be restored immediately.”
D Tharma Kumaran, a member of the MIC Youth central working committee, has initiated a Facebook campaign to pressure Ramanan to step down honourably.
Other party sources said Palanivel’s failure to remove Ramanan would result in a group of leaders forming a movement to oust the president himself.
One source said the movement had already been formed, calling itself Gerakan Anti Palanivel (GAP), reminiscent of Gerakan Anti Samy Vellu, which pressured for the removal of Palanivel’s predecessor.
“When Samy Vellu was in power, Palanivel was behind the Gerakan Anti Samy Vellu,” he said. “Let him taste his own medicine now.
“Believe me, GAP has already started. It is just that certain leaders want to remain in the background for now.
“But after Ramanan’s case they feel they can come out in the open. They now have a reason to ask Palanivel to leave before his intended exit in 2016. They can push for this and let the president-in-waiting, Dr S Subramaniam, take over in the interim.”
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