Bengaluru, Mar 10 (IANS): BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa, the prime accused in the alleged bribe for tender scam, appeared before the Lokayukta on Friday for questioning in connection with the case.

Lokayukta officials had questioned the MLA from Channagiri constituency for four hours on Thursday. He was asked to be present before the Lokayukta on Friday for further inquiry.

Sources in the Lokayukta said that Virupakshappa is not giving answers to the questions related to the tender process. However, Virupakshappa claimed that he had answered all the questions put forth by the Lokayukta officers on Thursday.

The MLA had pleaded ignorance about knowing agents and middlemen.

The Lokayukta officers have identified the brokers and middlemen and have already issued notices to them. They are taking statements from their side and cross-checking the statements of the accused MLA, sources said.

On March 2, the MLA's son Prashanth Madal was caught red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 40 lakh by the anti-corruption division of Lokayukta for allotment of tender to procure raw materials for the Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL), a public sector unit of which Virupakshappa is the chairman.

The authorities later seized Rs 8.12 crore and 1.6 kg gold from the residences of Virupakshappa and Prashanth.

The MLA's son is presently in judicial custody.

The Karnataka High Court had granted interim anticipatory bail to Virupakshappa who faced threat of arrest. The opposition Congress and JD(S) have alleged that the BJP government is protecting the MLA.