KOCHI: The Enforcement Directorate has dismissed bribery allegations made by Kollam-based businessman Aneesh Babu against officers of the central agency, saying the complainant, who is under investigation for money laundering, is attempting to “malign the image” of the ED through a “media trial”.
“The allegations made by Aneesh are an attempt to trigger a media trial with the intent to malign the image of the Directorate of Enforcement. The allegations made are contradictory and propagated through media platforms to prejudice local public opinion,” the ED stated.
Instead of complying with the summons, Aneesh approached the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) with certain allegations, and he changed the name of the ED officer over time, clearly revealing his intent to mislead and defame officers, the agency said.
VACB had named an assistant director of ED’s Kochi unit as the first accused in a bribery allegation involving the extortion of allegedly Rs 2 crore from a businessman in exchange for halting an ED investigation. On Saturday, the VACB’s Kochi unit arrested Renjith Warrier, a Kochi-based chartered accountant, following the earlier arrest of two other accused.
Commenting on VACB’s investigation, ED officers said the central agency remains committed to upholding the rule of law.