About 44 percent of Goa’s newly sworn ministers have launched criminal cases against themselves, three of whom have brought serious charges against them, according to polling firm ADR.
Goa Election Watch and the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) have analyzed the affidavits of all nine ministers, including Prime Minister Pramod Sawant.
According to the ADR, four (44 percent) ministers have instituted criminal proceedings against themselves and three (33 percent) ministers have instituted serious criminal proceedings against themselves.
According to the ADR report, serious crimes were offenses punishable by a sentence of five years or more.
All ministers are crorepatis and the average wealth of these nine ministers is Rs 19.49 crore, it said.
The minister with the highest declared total wealth is Atanasio Monserrate of Panaji Constituency with a fortune worth Rs 48.48 crore. Govind Shepu Gaude of Priol constituency has the lowest declared total wealth at Rs 2.67 crore.
Eight Goan ministers have declared liabilities, of which Nilesh Cabral of Curchorem constituency has the highest commitment at Rs 11.97 crore.
The BJP won the recent general elections in Goa and formed their state government.