Kochi: Life Mission CEO UV Jose and two other officials were questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as part of the agency’s investigation into the Life Mission scheme meant for housing for the poor.
Jose, who was summoned by the CBI, appeared before the investigation team on Monday morning. He was let off in the evening, sources said.
The Enforcement Directorate had earlier questioned Jose in the case. Jose had signed the Life Mission contract with Red Crescent in his capacity as the CEO.
The CBI had filed an FIR in a court here under Section 120 B of the IPC and Section 35 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 on a complaint by Wadakkanchery Congress MLA Anil Akkara, listing Santosh Eappen, managing director of Unitac Builder, Kochi, as the first accused and Sane Ventures as the second accused.
The Life Mission CEO, in his petition, has submitted that the FIR was "illegal, arbitrary and nothing but an abuse of the process of law and is, therefore, liable to be quashed."
Documents to be handed over
Documents related to the Life Mission project will be handed over to the CBI on Monday as part of the agency’s investigations into the scheme meant for housing for the poor.
Since the original documents have been taken away by the Vigilance Department, Life Mission has decided to hand over their copies to the CBI.
Vigilance took four files from the Life Mission’s office after the state government had ordered an investigation by the department just before the case was handed over to the CBI. The files are still in the possession of the Vigilance.
The state government is against the CBI investigating the case. It has filed a petition in the high court demanding the agency’s removal. The verdict on the plea will be delivered on October 8.
The Vigilance Department has said that if the verdict is in favour of the CBI, it would give the central agency all the files. Earlier, while considering the petition, the high court had orally directed the government to cooperate with the CBI probe.
Therefore, the CBI has been proceeding with the case in the belief that the court will allow its investigation. It believes the high court will take into account the fact that the matters relating to the Life Mission can only be investigated by the CBI.
As part of the case, the CBI questioned Vinod, the director of Sane Ventures, a subsidiary of Unitac. The owner of Unitac, Santosh Eapen, had been questioned in the case earlier. The agency had also interrogated the Mission’s Thrissur project officer.
The case relates to the alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act in receiving financial assistance from the UAE’s Red Crescent for the housing complex in Wadakkanchery, Thrissur, as part of the Mission. Unitac has been given the construction contract of the complex.