Ramanan quits as treasurer-general of MIC

KUALA LUMPUR: Embattled MIC leader Datuk R. Ramanan has resigned as party treasurer-general pending his appeal of a court ruling that he had fraudulently received RM5.5mil.

“In view of the High Court decision and in the interest of MIC and my president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel, I will step down as treasurer-general until I clear my name in court.”

Ramanan said no one was bigger than the party and he did not want Palanivel to be haunted by the issue.

Last Thursday, Judicial Commis-sioner Lee Heng Cheong ordered Ramanan to return the money to psychiatrist Tan Sri Dr M. Mahadevan after finding Ramanan had misrepresented himself to the latter.

Following the court decision, DAP chairman Karpal Singh called on the Attorney-General to bring criminal charges against him.

However, Ramanan said his case was a civil matter between two individuals and not a criminal case.

“There is no element of CBT (criminal breach of trust),” he said.

Ramanan said his resignation was a personal decision because he did not want the issue to be exploited further.

“No one has forced or asked me to do this,” he said.

Ramanan said his lawyers had filed an appeal yesterday and applied for a stay of execution.

In the meantime, Ramanan said he would deposit RM5.5mil into a joint account of his lawyers and the lawyers of the other party.

Ramanan also said he had been advised by his lawyers that any comment about the case by anyone was sub judice.

“Therefore I shall make no comment on this matter,” he said.

Despite his resignation, Ramanan vowed to continue serving MIC.

Ramanan was circumspect when asked about hidden hands out to topple MIC leaders or whether there was a plot to oust him.

“I think being from the media you will know better than me.”

MIC president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel said he had advised Ramanan to “make the right decision”.

“He met me and told me about the matter. I advised him to make the right decision,” he told the Tamil media at a press conference yesterday.