KOCHI: The customs probing the smuggling of $1.9 lakh by Egyptian national Khalid Ali Shoukry, former finance head of the UAE Consulate, out of the country has received a key statement from accused Swapna Suresh about the involvement of former principal secretary M Sivasankar in the incident. According to customs sources, the agency will arraign him in the case.
This was also stated in the petition filed by the customs seeking an extension of his custody at the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (Economic Offences) Court in the gold smuggling case on Monday. “Swapna, during the custodial interrogation, has made certain revelations implicating Sivasankar in the currency smuggling with strong linkages in the gold smuggling case,” the report said.
The customs filed the statements given by Swapna and Sarith P S in the currency smuggling case pointing to Sivasankar’s involvement in a sealed cover before the court. “From Swapna’s statement, it is clear that Sivasankar was well aware of the incident in which Khalid travelled to Cairo carrying currencies accompanied by Swapna and Sarith from Thiruvananthapuram via Muscat. As he was aware of the currency smuggling incident, he also knew about the smuggling of gold through the diplomatic baggage,” Customs official said.
The customs will arraign Sivasankar after his custodial interrogation in the gold smuggling case is completed. “The amount of $ 1.9 lakh smuggled out by Khalid was received as commission from Unitac Builders for LIFE Mission project in Wadakkanchery. We are also checking whether Sivasankar had helped in converting Indian rupees to US dollars. We have to record the statements of a few more witnesses before arraigning Sivasankar in the case,” a customs source said.
Meanwhile, the customs sought custody extension of Swapna and Sarith in the currency smuggling case. According to the agency, Swapna revealed information about certain foreign nationals who were involved in the case. The customs is collecting their passport details, travel details and duration of the stay. It also stated that Swapna and Sarith will have to be confronted with the statement given by Sivasankar on the incident. The court permitted their custody for two more days.