KOCHI: Former minister V K Ebrahim Kunju blamed the officials in the Palarivattom bridge corruption case. He told the court that the officials did not inform him things properly and he just signed it. The former minister mentioned this in his bail plea in the case related to the construction of Palarivattom Bridge. If so, the court asked him whether he is a rubber stamp. The case has been posted to Monday to pronounce the verdict in the bail plea.

Kunju tried to defend himself by pointing the allegations levelled against the assembly speaker. He said the assembly speaker gave advance to Uralungal Society. It is not wrong to give mobilisation advance. He told the court that there is proof for speaker giving 13 crore advance for Uralungal Society. The vigilance findings that he accepted bribe is wrong, he said.

While considering his bail plea, the court asked him whether he is a rubber stamp. The court then asked him why he wants to go out immediately from the hospital chosen by him for the treatment. The government told the court that law does not allow mobilisation advance in PWD contracts.

The government pointed that a decision was taken to hand over the construction work to RDS Company even before the tender. This was planned at the Mascot Hotel in 2013. The vigilance informed the court that Kunju will be questioned again and if bail is granted, it may affect investigation.