Following the latest revelations by gold smuggling accused Swapna Suresh, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said that she was being used as part of a larger political conspiracy.
"This is part of a political agenda. Such agendas had been rejected by the people. Now, after a brief interval, an accused in the case has been used to repeat the very same charges against us. There is not a shred of truth in them," the Chief Minister said in an official statement.
"We who have taken the stand that there should be no compromise on finding the entire truth, from identifying the source of the economic offences that are wrecking the country's economy right down to every other offence related to the case, have been repeatedly subjected to such false accusations through the media," he said.
The Chief Minister hinted that Swapna was goaded by others to make these allegations. He differentiated between those nudging the other to make such allegations and the person taking up the job of the mouthpiece, and said that both were part of a "mysterious scheme to tarnish individuals who have been with the people for years and who have pressed forward unwaveringly despite being buffeted by false charges."
"I am fully confident that our society itself would give a fitting reply to those who are trying to make gains by making such a person regurgitate old allegations," he said. "This is just an attempt to malign the LDF government that was working for the comprehensive development and social welfare of Kerala," the Chief Minister added.
He reiterated that it was the LDF government that had first sought a coordinated and effective investigation into the gold smuggling just when it came to light.
Earlier, after giving a 164 statement in front of the Court, Swapna Suresh told the media that a bag with currency notes belonging to the Chief Minister was flown to Dubai at the instructions of M Sivasankar, then the Chief Minister's secretary. She also alleged that 'biriyani vessels' were used to regularly transfer gold from the UAE Consul General's residence to the Chief Minister's residence.
