From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
 
Panaji, Sep 29: Tourism minister Fransisco alias Miccky Pacheco was interrogated by Crime Branch sleuths on Tuesday, September 29, at their office at Dona Paula.

A casino operator from South Goa based five star hotel had alleged that the minister along with eleven others had tried to extort Rs 3.69 lac from him.

“The minister cooperated with the during the interrogation,” deputy superintendent of police (crime branch) Chandrakant Salgaoncar told reporters after the minister left.

The minister accompanied by his officer on special duty, Lyndon Monteiro, arrived at the crime branch’s office at Dona Paula near here at 10 am.

He was interrogated by police inspector Sunita Sawant for over two hours.

Police sources disclosed that the minister was shown the CCTV footage of the casino trekking his movement on the day when he allegedly extorted money.

“There is contradiction in the complaint and what you can see on the CCTV footage,” Pacheco told reporters emerging from the two hour long interrogation.

“The footage shows me playing in the casino and not at a single time, I have extorted the money. I played and whatever I won, I was paid,” the tourism minister, who is also a NCP legislator, said.

DySP Salgaoncar said that the casino management, in their complaint, had alleged that the minister pretended to be winning the game and demanded money to be paid.

“CCTV footage is just one portion of evidence. We will examine all the aspects,” Salgaoncar said.

Police, who had opposed the anticipatory bail petition of the minister in the court, earlier last week, said that Pacheco was cooperating with the police.

“Today he has answered all our questions that means that he is cooperating,” the DYSP said.