Pacheco’s aide was convicted for cheque bouncing

PANAJI - Controversial former Goa tourism minister Mickky Pacheco’s aide Lyndon Monteiro was appointed a functionary of the Goa tourism department despite being arrested and sentenced in a cheque bouncing case, a lawyer-activist alleged Saturday.

Aires Rodrigues said that Lyndon, an officer on special duty (OSD) in the tourism ministry, was appointed vice chairman of the Goa Tourism Development Corp (GTDC) in violation of norms.

Addressing a press conference here, Rodrigues said that Lyndon was arrested and sentenced to 15 months imprisonment in a cheque bouncing case in 2002.

This, he said, made his appointment as a director and vice chairman of the GTDC illegal and in violation of the Companies Act.

“Section 274(1)(d) of the Companies Act mandates that a person shall not be appointed director of a company, if he has been convicted by a court of any offence involving moral turpitude and sentenced in respect thereof to imprisonment,” Aires said.

The lawyer-activist also demanded that according to the provisions of the Companies Act, Lyndon should be made to cough up salary credited to him as an illegally appointed GTDC functionary.

Political appointments as directors or top functionaries of government-run corporations is common practice in Goa.

Meanwhile, the Crime Branch is questioning Viola Pacheco, the second wife of the former tourism minister, summoned in connection with 28-year-old Nadia Torrado’s death by poisoning.

Nadia, an alleged lover of the former tourism minister, allegedly consumed rat poison May 15 and died at a Chennai hospital 15 days later.