AAP's Goa CM Candidate Summoned By ACB in Housing Board Controversy

Mumbai: Goa Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Thursday summoned the recently announced Aam Admi Party (AAP) chief ministerial candidate Elvis Gomes for his alleged involvement in housing board controversy.

Gomes, who was holding the post of Managing Director in the Goa Housing Board (GHB), was named as an accused along with former GHB chairman Nilkanth Halarnkar for allegedly dropping the acquisition of land for a housing society. Gomes has been asked by the ACB to appear before it on Monday.

Speaking to CNN-News18, a senior official from the anti-corrruption body said, “We have already taken the statement of the other witnesses in the case. The main accused will be called now. We need to find out whether the abrupt stoppage of making the housing society has benefited some people or not. Government incurred losses because of the decision.”

He further added that the proposal of constructing the housing society was moved and land acquisition had also taken place, but eventually everything was stalled. “We need to find out whether proper procedure was followed or not. The complaint was given to us in the month of February and after enquiry we registered a case on May 6. Both the accused have been booked under relevant sections of Prevention of Corruption Act,” the official added.

Gomes has been summoned just two days after he was selected as Aam Aadmi Party's CM candidate in Bhartiya Janta Party-ruled Goa. AAP is actively campaigning in the state and has announced most of its candidates for the state election.