ATTACK INTIGATION DENIED BY CALANGUTE MLA AGNELO FERNANDES

PANJIM: The Calangute MLA, Mr Agnelo Fernandes has flatly denied the charges leveled against him by the former tourism minister, Mr Matanhy Saldanha, and former Calangute sarpanch, Mr Joseph Sequeira that he had instigated the attack on some fishermen on Wednesday at Sinquerim.

Mr Fernandes told this reporter that Mr Saldanha should have verified the antecedents of the person he was defending before making allegations against him. He went on to add that the person Mr Saldanha was now defending was charged by the police of having set two boats on fire about a year and a half ago and that the case was now in court.

He said that people from Calangute, Candolim, Nerul and Sinquerim have been using the jetty at Sinquerim peacefully for years for fishing and water sports.

He said that the people engage themselves in water sports activities during the tourist season and during the non-tourist season they undertake fishing business. He added that two of those attacked were involved in fights every now and then, even as he wondered why he was taking side of these persons.

Stating that he would seek a probe into collection of ` 1,000 from each boat owner by Mr Saldanha while issuing fuel utilisation certificate every year, which he said were not accounted for, Mr Fernandes also alleged that no receipts were issued when the amount was collected.

Stating that the issue is being used to settle political scores, he said, “The fact is that after being invited on the scene by certain tourist boat owners of Candolim who claimed that some fishermen were creating problems for them and were likely to attack them, I rushed to the site with my panch members and even asked for police force to be deployed.” In such a situation Mr Fernandes wondered where was the question of encouraging hooliganism.

Stressing that Candolim jetty was being used by people of Candolim as well as Calangute Mr Fernandes said that every thing was running well till some notorious characters from Calangute having a bad track record came on the scene and created problems.  “How can we keep quite and be mute spectators if goons will come in our village and create a ruckus?” asked Mr Fernandes.

He even pointed out that on the contrary his brother, Mr Lourenco was assaulted at the site by the notorious fishermen from the neighbouring village. “We will not tolerate any hooliganism or rowdy elements in our area. While we want peace we will also not keep quite if there are deliberate attempts to disturb peace,” he warned. (NT)