Thrissur: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized documents of 25 benami properties of P Satheesh Kumar, the main accused in the loan fraud case related to the multi-crore Karavannur bank scam.
A total of 100 sovereigns of gold and Rs 5.5 lakh in cash were seized from the house of Sunil Kumar, who has close links with the other accused. Documents of properties worth Rs 15 crore were seized from the house of another partner, Anil Kumar, and documents of 19 properties worth Rs 5 crore were seized from the house of Kochi native S Deepak, the business partner of the second accused, P P Kiran.
So far, the details of the accused conspiring and siphoning off Rs 150 crore from the bank have come to light. Based on the available statements, the fraud could cross Rs 300 crore.
The investigating team conducted simultaneous searches at nine places in relation to the case. Thrissur Corporation councilor Anoop Davis Kada, former Karuvannur bank secretary T R Sunil Kumar, and Thrissur Co-operative Bank employee N V Binu were questioned by the ED on Tuesday. The special court on Tuesday extended the remand of P Satheesh Kumar and P P Kiran till October 3. The ED raids on Ayyanthol and Thrissur Cooperative Banks in connection with a money laundering case lasted for nearly 24 hours.
Moideen fails to appear
Moideen was in the Assembly when the ED directed him to appear for a second round of questioning in connection with the Karuvannur money laundering case. He informed the ED of his inconvenience in appearing through an email, saying he was attending a two-day training program organized by the Assembly for the MLAs.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the ongoing ED investigation's aim is to destroy the co-operative sector in the state. “When demonetization came, there was a move to destroy the cooperative sector. At that time, the cooperative sector stakeholders stood unitedly against it. The government had taken effective steps on the issues related to the Karuvannur Bank. We don't accept wrongdoings. This is not an issue that affects the CPM alone. They are targeting the co-operative sector in Kerala,” he said.
Opposition Leader V D Satheesan called for a thorough probe into the fraud and black money transactions involved in this case.
"In 2011, even though a CPM area committee member lodged a complaint about fraud in Karuvannur Bank, the party took a stand to protect black money hoarders and corrupt people. The CPM has facilitated an opportunity to impose unnecessary restrictions on cooperative banks. If the ED tries to trap someone innocent, we will stand by them and oppose it,” he added.
