KOCHI: The chief minister’s office and his former principal secretary M Sivasankar found themselves further on the back foot after the Enforcement Directorate, which is probing the money trail in the gold smuggling case, revealed that the bureaucrat received Rs 1 crore as a kickback from the LIFE Mission housing project.
The central agency has stated so in a report filed before the Special Court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) cases while opposing Sivasankar’s bail plea. ED, citing gold smuggling key accused Swapna Suresh’s statement, claimed that the Rz 1 crore handed over by UAE Consulate finance department head Khalid Al Shoukry to Swapna after receiving commission from LIFE Mission project builder Unitac was a kickback for Sivasankar. Swapna had told the ED that Sivasankar was the beneficiary of the kickbacks she received.
“In fact, an amount of Rs 1 crore (approx) which was given by Khalid to Swapna was a kickback meant for Sivasankar. This amount was subsequently seized by the NIA from the lockers belonging to Swapna including the one opened on the directions of Sivasankar from which NIA seized `64 lakh,” the report stated.
The ED is suspicious of all construction work carried out by LIFE Mission after the revelation that Sivasankar had leaked project details even before their tenders were opened. There could be possible kickbacks from certain private parties in these projects, the report said.
LIFE Mission’s all projects under cloud, says ED
“Of the 36 projects under the LIFE Mission, 26 were awarded to two entities whose confidential details were shared with Swapna even before the tender was opened. This casts doubt on the entire bidding procedure adopted for awarding projects under LIFE Mission. Similar details have also been shared with Swapna under KFON project,” the report stated.
ED also stated in the report that there were two chats between Sivasankar and Swapna wherein she requested the former to intervene for some work at the airport/clearance of diplomatic baggage without examination by the customs department. Sivasankar had accepted in a statement given to ED on October 15 that he did speak to a senior customs officer and made a request as per the wishes of Swapna.
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