Vigilance to probe graft in Advocates Welfare Fund

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A vigilance probe has been ordered into financial misappropriation in Advocates Welfare Fund that could potentially run into crores of rupees. The fund, raised through rich proceeds from court fees and sale of vakalath (authorisation) stamps, is meant for the benefit of retired advocates and is handled by Bar Council of Kerala.
According to a copy of the file in this regard accessed by TOI under Right to Information Act, the chief minister recommended the vigilance inquiry after the law department found that several books of accounts are missing and that available records indicated misappropriation to the tune of Rs 70 lakh. “Based on the report of the auditor, it is evident that the books of accounts are missing. Documents are missing, many other relevant materials are missing and reconstruction of records would be necessary to ascertain the amount of money lost. The accounts which were available indicate that there were corrections in the account to the tune of Rs 70 lakh,” the file submitted to the chief minister said. Top government sources said that the misappropriation would run into crores if properly investigated, and the current figure was arrived at only on the basis of available records.

Discrepancy was detected after an audit

The discrepancy in the fund was detected after an audit in September last year, which revealed that the accounts hadn’t been audited for the last 10 years. “There isdiscrepancy between the number of welfare fund stamps printed and the number of welfare fund stamps sold. Huge public money is involved in the affairs of the welfare fund. The government has effectively no control over the matter,” the file said.

The file recommending the vigilance probe was endorsed by law secretary B G Harindranath and law minister A K Balan before it was forwarded to the chief minister, who gave a nod to the recommendations. It is reliably learnt that the matter has been handed over to the VACB Ernakulam unit in the last week of September last year, where the matter is pending at present.

The advocates welfare fund has been constituted under Kerala Advocates Welfare Fund Act, 1980. According to section 22 of the act, the bar council was entrusted with the printing and distribution of the welfare fund stamps, that were to be affixed on each vakalath before the courts taken up by the advocates who are enrolled under the welfare fund. The stamps are printed and distributed to various bar associations across the state and the proceeds from which added to the welfare fund. The trustee committee consists of the secretary and treasurer of bar council as its ex-officio secretary and treasurer. Also, three other members nominated by the council are also part of the committee. In addition, the advocate general and the law secretary are also members of the committee.

Bar council secretary K Ajayan said that the decision to undertake a vigilance probe is welcome and it was the trustee committee itself that has sought a probe in the matter. “We had petitioned against the accountant and the vigilance probe is going on through which we expect the truth to come out,” he said. However, he refused further comments on the matter, citing elections to the bar council scheduled for Monday.