Thiruvananthapuram: The ongoing probes into the diplomatic gold smuggling case and the related one of currency smuggling are set to cause more hubbub if the investigators lay hands on a top politician in Kerala. The two key accused in the case have reportedly revealed his name to the Customs which had initially busted the gold smuggling at the Trivandrum International Airport nearly half a year ago.
A top political leader holding a prominent post in the state was involved in the smuggling of foreign currency, claimed P S Sarith, one of the accused, in his statement to the Customs.
Co-accused Swapna Suresh has also confirmed this and revealed her ties to the leader, say sources with links to the investigating agency.
Swapna's revelations on her links to this leader and the details of the financial deals have startled the probe team. The leader reportedly got 'VIP cover' at the airport to reach the flight without any security checks. The probe agencies assessed that this facility was misused.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is all set to make a detailed probe into the source of the money that was converted to dollars. The central agency would probe what type of money was handed over and who all were involved financially.
The minister's personal staff would be questioned over the foreign trips of the leader. As the leader too would have to be questioned, the probe agency is looking into the legal aspects of this as well.
Sarith has reportedly divulged details such as the money handed over by the leader and the place where the dollar was given. Swapna too has revealed the assistance she had provided in the deal.
Swapna also deposed the politician had plans to start the franchise of a prominent foreign university at Sharjah, UAE. For this, money was handed over after converting to dollars.
A Keralite, who runs an educational consultancy firm in Bengaluru, reportedly provided the necessary assistance to the politician using his ties in the UAE. The details of this person have also been given to the Customs.
Graft and money laundering
The Customs suspects that foreign currency case was linked to the kickbacks received over a few deals in Kerala. The statements given by Swapna and Sarith are the main evidence in this regard.
The Customs suspects that black money of crores of rupees, received as commission by some prominent people, was diverted into gold smuggling. The Customs had earlier questioned some senior civil service officials, who had given statements over black money and foreign ties.
Large amounts of commission were received by certain people over some projects of the state government. This excludes deals linked to the UAE Consulate which was used as cover by the racket.
The deals linked to foreigners are also within the purview of the investigation. The probe is also focussing on certain former officials of the UAE Consulate, some foreigners who arrived as Consulate's guests and the prominent people whom the foreigners had visited.
Though Jayaghosh, a former gunman at the UAE Consulate, and driver Siddique were questioned, the probe team did not get any solid information.
Unitac managing director Santhosh Eapen has stood by his claims that the $ 4 lakh and Rs 90 lakh handed over to Consulate's former finance section head Khalid Ali Shoukri were indeed kickbacks over the Life Mission project.
The Customs will question the bank officials who helped Santhosh Eapen to procure dollars from the black market.
Meanwhile, the Customs will produce M Sivasankar, former Principal Secretary to the Kerala chief minister, in the Economic Offences Court on Monday as his custody period has ended.
