ALAPPUZHA : Kuttanad MLA Thomas Chandy has said that the report submitted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate Court on the Kiliroor sex scandal case has proved that he was in no way connected with the scandal.

He said that reports in a section of the media which said that he had once made ``disparaging remarks'' to the victim was, in fact, a misinterpretation of a reference about him in the CBI report which could not be justified.

At a press conference here on Friday, Mr. Chandy said the names of several prominent persons, including Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, had been mentioned in the report as witnesses and he was also a witness. He said as a witness, he would testify before the court if he was ordered by the court to do so.

Mr. Chandy said he did not remember whether the victim in the Kiliroor sex scandal case had arrived in his Lake Palace tourist resort in Alappuzha seeking a job. Mr. Chandy said he remembered that the accused in the sex scandal case Latha Nair had visited the resort a few times when interviews were held for filling the vacancies in the resort, and he had conveyed that fact to the police and the CBI. Ms. Nair accompanied candidates and had made recommendations but none brought by her had been appointed, he said.

He said he did not remember whether he had asked the victim of the Kiliroor scandal to come again after improving her `'health and beauty.''

``When candidates are selected for various posts in the hotel, those with a presentable personality and knowledge in English are selected, and those who are rejected will be asked to come again after improving their skills,'' he said. But such remarks should not be misinterpreted so as to create doubts in the minds of public about his intensions, Mr. Chandy said.

He said he could not recall the names of all persons who appeared for interviews and there was no system in the hotel to record and preserve the names of all those who applied for jobs. He said the resort has records of all those who rented rooms and that could be verified by the investigating agencies.

Mr. Chandy said he had nothing to hide and that was why he testified before investigators that Ms. Nair had visited the resort.

He said a member of the personal staff of the former minister K.G.R. Kartha had called him on behalf of Ms. Nair and that was why he remembered Ms. Nair.

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