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.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is investigating the money laundering case in the Wadakkancherry LIFE Mission housing project, has extended its probe to the details of the appointment of Swapna Suresh, prime accused in the sensational gold smuggling case in the state government organisation, in Space Park.
It is learnt that the ED has found that Swapna had received more salary than the state chief secretary during her service in the Space Park. The state government used to pay Rs 3.80 per month to the PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the state government consultancy firm towards her salary
In the light of the statement given by UV Jose, former CEO of Life Mission, the ED has already recorded the statement of the Space Park special officer, Santhosh Kurup, regarding the appointment of Swapna.
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The ED is of the view that M Sivasankar, then principal secretary to chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, had ensured the appointment of Swapna in the Space Park through ‘Reverse Refence’. For this, Sivasankar used his influence in the state government consultancy firm, PwC. It was the PwC that had appointed Swapna, functioning under the Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Ltd(KSITIL). The ED is also learnt to have recorded the statements of the officials of the pwC.
It is also learnt that the ED has already got in its possession the copies of the emails exchanged between the Space Park special officer Santosh Kurup and PwC associated director C Prathap Mohan Nair.
If the Space Park and PwC officials would lend credence to the statements given by U V Jose and the agency gets evidence for it, the ED may take some decisive actions regarding the case in the coming days.
The ED is learnt to have found that Sivasankar had used the name of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in order to ensure the appointment of Swapna in the key post in the Space Park, whereby she would get opportunity to make direct contact prestigious institutions like Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). The ED has already recovered the messages sent by Sivasankar regarding this from Swapna’s mobile phone.
It is also learnt that on completing the interrogation of Santhosh Eapen, prime accused in the Life Mission case, the ED may again summon CM Ravindran, additional private secretary of chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan for interrogation.
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