ACB arrests Colva panch member

PANAJI: The anti-corruption branch (ACB) of the directorate of vigilance on Tuesday arrested a member of the Colva village panchayat, Calvert Gonsalves, in an alleged disproportionate assets case. In November 2014, ACB had registered a case against Gonsalves for possessing assets 250% over his actual income.
ACB superintendent of police Bosco George said that Gonsalves was summoned to the ACB vigilance office, Panaji, and placed under arrest so as to carry out his custodial interrogation.
George said that Gonsalves failed to appear before ACB officials for investigation at least 10 times on “flimsy grounds”.
When ACB sleuths questioned him, George said that the accused could not satisfactorily explain the source of income used to amass the disproportionate assets. He also said that the accused threatened witnesses in the case and one witness alleged that the accused masterminded an assault on him. The accused has failed to cooperate with the investigation and on the contrary, he produced a witness to mislead the probe, police said. The anticipatory bail of the accused was recently rejected by a special judge upholding the need for a custodial interrogation, George added.
ACB said that it has also found that Gonsalves made lot of foreign trips and owns a BMW which is registered in the name of other persons. ACB said that the money to purchase the BMW was paid by Gonsalves. ACB had registered an FIR against Gonsalves after he failed to appear before the branch and answer questions pertaining to the case.