Former Samy Vellu confidante charged over MIED cheating

Themalaysianinsider.com, By Baradan Kuppusamy

KUALA LUMPUR, May 11 — P. Chitrakala Vasu, the former MIED chief executive and confidante of Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, was charged in the Sessions Court here this morning with three counts of cheating to the amount of RM4 million.

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The charges bring to an end a year-long investigation which started after the MIC’s education arm lodged complaints with the police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) about missing funds.
She pleaded not guilty before Session Court judge Azizah Mahmud.
The prosecution of Chitrakala was quiet and undramatic with only Bharat Maniam, a former Samy Vellu ally turned critic, in the public gallery attending in support of Chitrakala. Reporters packed the courtroom though.
Dressed in a red and blue Punjabi outfit, Chitrakala appeared calm throughout proceedings while she sat next to her lawyer Sashi Menon.
The court allowed bail of RM20,000 for each charge.
Chitrakala told The Malaysian Insider: “I am relieved that the matter was finally before the courts. I am confident justice will prevail.”
She first hit the headlines last year by alleging that MIC misappropriated a government allocation meant to help the hardcore poor in the Indian community.
In a public falling out with her mentor, Chitrakala blamed Samy Vellu for a variety of ills faced by the MIC and the Indian community.
She told of how the party misused government funds to shore up support for party leaders, including Samy Vellu, in the runup to the MIC elections.
MORE TO COME.

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The Star

Tuesday May 11, 2010

Ex-MIED chief arrested over alleged cheating involving RM4mil

By LOURDES CHARLES and MAZWIN NIK ANIS
newsdesk@thestar.com.my<
KUALA LUMPUR: Former Maju Institute of Educational Development (MIED) chief executive officer P. Chitrakala Vasu (pic) has been arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for alleged cheating involving RM4mil.
Chitrakala will be charged in the Sessions Court at the Jalan Duta Courts Complex here today.

MACC director of investigations commissioner Mustafar Ali, who confirmed this, said Chitrakala was called to the commission headquarters in Putrajaya and was arrested when she arrived at 2.30pm.
It is learnt that the 39-year-old spent a couple of hours at the MACC headquarters having her statement recorded.
The Star had in January reported that a top executive of the MIED was under investigation by the MACC for alleged criminal breach of trust amounting to RM4mil.
The executive was investigated following a report lodged with the MACC. The MACC then visited the MIED office and took files and documents pertaining to the alleged offence.
Investigations into the MIED had been going on from the time Chitrakala herself had exposed alleged malpractices.
Several police reports, too, had been lodged on the matter, including one by former Teluk Kemang MP Datuk S. Sothinathan regarding missing MIED files.