Indian court rules appointment:

Strikes down PM's choice

INDIA: India's Prime Minister Monday accepted responsibility after the Supreme Court struck down his choice of a tainted civil servant to serve as the country's chief anti-corruption officer.

Manmohan Singh's statement to lawmakers marked another setback for the 78-year-old leader, whose Congress-led Government is reeling over a series of graft scandals, including a multi-billion-dollar telecoms licensing scam.

Addressing the lower house of Parliament, Singh admitted his "error of judgement" and said he respected the Supreme Court's decision to cancel the appointment of Central Vigilance Commissioner P.J. Thomas.

Singh appointed Thomas in September, although the official had been charged in 2000 over his role in allegedly fraudulent imports of palm oil from Malaysia while he worked as a civil servant in the Kerala state government in the 1990s. The 60-year-old civil servant has never been prosecuted in the palm oil case and has always maintained his innocence, blaming the accusations on political rivalry in Kerala.

The Central Vigilance Commission is India's leading anti-corruption watchdog.

The latest development comes as the government has been battling corruption scandals for the past six months that have caused concern among voters and troubled foreign investors.

NEW DELHI, Tuesday, AFP