Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has reacted to the latest allegations levelled by gold smuggling case accused Swpana Suresh and called them baseless. Swapna had alleged that a bag full of currency notes, which was forgotten by the Chief Minister during his trip to Dubai in 2016, was sent through the UAE Consulate.
“Today, through the visual media, some of the references made by the accused in some of the cases were noticed. The state government was the first to ask the Union Government for a coordinated and effective investigation into the gold smuggling scandal. Subsequent legitimate concerns about investigative methods have been pointed out in a timely manner. We are clear that the crime has to be investigated from the root and till its logical end. Unsubstantiated allegations have been made by the media from some quarters for narrow political reasons against us, who insist that there should be no compromise on the search for the source of the economic crimes that are wreaking havoc on the country's economy. This is part of some political agenda. Such agendas are rejected by the people. After a break, the old things are repeated by the defendant in the case. There is not even a shred of facts in it,” the Chief Minister said in his statement.
Pinarayi also blamed the media for making Swapna Suresh repeat old allegations. “It is clear that making and taking such cheap allegations against those who have been with the people in the public sphere for a long time and are moving forward in public life in the face of false allegations is part of a conspiracy. I am confident that our society will respond to those who think that such a person and their old allegations can be used to reap benefits. The people will recognise and reject the baseless propaganda aimed at discrediting the Left Democratic Front government which is working for the overall development and social welfare of Kerala,” the statement said.
Kerala gold smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh, who had promised to make more revelations about the case, on Tuesday directly named Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his wife Kamala, daughter Veena, two top aides to Pinarayi and one Cabinet minister in connection with the case.
She said she has given a statement under Section 164 of the CrPC naming the Chief Minister, his wife Kamala Vijayan, daughter Veena Vijayan, former State Chief Secretary Nalini Netto, Additional Private Secretary to Kerala Chief Minister CM Raveendran and former Kerala Education Minister and current legislator KT Jaleel. Section 164 of CrPC refers to confidential statements, confessions made in front of a magistrate.
"I have been advised by the court to show restraint while I speak and hence I am not able to speak everything about the gold smuggling case. It all began in 2016 when Pinarayi first went to the UAE, he had forgotten a bag full of currency notes. Then M Sivasankar (former Kerala Principal Secretary to Pinarayi and top IAS official) contacted me first and asked me to make all arrangements to make sure that bag reaches Dubai. This bag was sent to Dubai through a consulate official. That is how the entire saga started. At the Consulate office, there is a scanner and when we scanned the bag, it was filled with money," she said.
She further said that on many occasions, biryani vessels with heavy metal objects were transported from the house of the UAE Consulate General in India to the residence of the Kerala Chief Minister.
"This has happened on several occasions and it has been found out that biriyani vessels containing not just biriyani but other heavy metal objects were sent. This was done under instructions from Sivasankar," Swapna added.