KOCHI: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB), which is probing the bribery case involving an assistant director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), will soon record statements from additional complainants who have alleged similar demands for bribes.
Following the arrest of Kochi native Wilson, who was caught accepting a bribe purportedly on behalf of the ED officer, around five individuals from various business sectors have come forward with fresh allegations. These include a gold merchant and a quarry operator.
“We will soon approach those who claimed that bribe demands were made to them. Their official statements will be recorded. Based on their testimonies, we will decide whether to register fresh cases or treat them as witnesses in the current probe,” a vigilance officer said.
VACB has so far arrested Wilson, Mukesh Jain—a Rajasthan native based in Kochi—and chartered accountant Renjith Warrier in connection with the case. ED assistant director Shekar Kumar is named as the first accused.
“All of them were approached by Wilson, who allegedly demanded bribes to halt ED investigations against them. We are currently probing whether the ED officer has any direct connection with the arrested individuals. Any action against the officer will only be taken based on solid evidence. The investigation is now at a crucial stage,” the official said.
The three arrested individuals will remain in VACB custody till Thursday. A team led by VACB SP S Sasidharan, along with two DySPs, is handling the interrogation. The ED officer will be questioned later.
“The officer’s statement is necessary as he is an accused in the case. However, it will be recorded only after we complete evidence collection and obtain maximum information from the other accused individuals,” the VACB officer said.
Meanwhile, the ED has denied any connection to the bribery case, claiming it is part of a conspiracy by the complainant to derail the probe against him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).