Rs 5 to 6-billion scam in Chhattisgarh’s DMF funds exposed
During an ED probe, it came to light that contractors paid exorbitant commissions ranging from 25 to 40 per cent of the contract value to officials and political figures in the state.
Bineesh Kodiyeri, son of CPIM Kerala secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, was interrogated by the Enforcement Directorate( ED) on Wednesday at its Kochi office in connection with gold smuggling and his alleged links with drug peddler Mohammed Anoop.
The interrogation began at 11a.m. today. ED is probing whether Bineesh Kodiyeri is involved in aiding the accused in both the cases. One of the accused reportedly stated that he had received financial aid from Bineesh.
It has been reported that three companies, started in partnership with Bineesh Kodiyeri, are under scrutiny. Two of them ~ one based in Kozhikode and the other in Bengaluru ~ were frozen by the Registrar of Companies for not submitting their annual reports since their inception in 2015.
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The third company which Bineesh has links to, UAFX in Thiruvananthapuram, is said to have paid commission to Swapna Suresh, the key accused in the Thiruvananthapuram gold smuggling case, for helping it win the visa stamping contract of the UAE Consulate.
Muslim Youth League leader PK Firoz had alleged that Bineesh of having close ties with Muhammad Anoop and Rijesh Ravindran, who were arrested along with D Anikha, in connection with the drug smuggling case.
Firoz said that Bineesh invested money in a hotel business launched by drug peddler Mohammed Anoop. Anoop reportedly has told the NCB that he had leased a property at Kammanahalli in Bengaluru in 2015 and opened a restaurant with the name ‘Hyaat’ at Agnes Arcade with financial help from Bineesh.
Meanwhile, ED in its remand extension report of accused in the gold smuggling case, including Swapna Suresh before the special court for PMLA cases in Kochi, revealed that the accused in the drugs case had assisted the accused in the gold smuggling case.
The NCB has requested the ED to share the information in gold smuggling case.
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