THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday opposed any sort of probe by Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the alleged irregularities in the state's cooperative financial institutions, saying the Central agency need not meddle with the cooperative sector.
Vijayan said this in response to a query on the demand by his former Cabinet colleague and CPI(M)-backed MLA K T Jaleel for ED probe into the alleged money laundering in a cooperative bank controlled by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) in Malappuram district.
He also pulled up Jaleel for taking up the matter with the ED. "There is no need for ED to meddle in the cooperative sector of Kerala," Vijayan told a press conference here.
The Chief Minister said the state's Cooperative Department was equipped to investigate such matters and it has already initiated a probe into the alleged irregularities in the A R Nagar Service Cooperative Bank.
His statement came a day after Jaleel held a press conference in Malappuram accusing senior Muslim League leader P K Kunhalikutty of carrying out fraudulent transactions to the tune of Rs 1,021 crore through A R Nagar Service Cooperative Bank in Malappuram district.
In a sarcastic note, Vijayan said Jaleel's trust with ED might have gone up since he himself was questioned by the central agency as part of its investigation into the gold smuggling case.
He said the state Cooperative Department could not move forward in the case due to a court stay.
The Chief Minister's statement has come as setback for Jaleel who has waged a battle against Kunhalikutty, his political rival in Malappuram district.
As part of his moves against Kunhalikutty, Jaleel had given a statement to ED against the Muslim League leader in connection with the alleged financial irregularities committed by the Muslim League leader in the name of financial activities of the Muslim League mouthpiece in the state.
Talking to reporters in Kochi on September 2 after giving his statement, Jaleel said the ED had taken note of the allegations he had levelled against Kunhalikutty both inside and outside the State Assembly and had issued a notice to him for taking his statement.
Kunhalikutty is the leader of IUML in the Assembly. Jaleel had said he has provided the ED with some documents to prove his allegations and will provide more documents in connection with the case.
The former Higher Education Minister had also claimed that the ED had issued summons to Kunhalikutty and his son for questioning in the matter. There was no immediate reaction from Kunhalikutty or Muslim League on Jaleel's allegations.
Jaleel, an arch rival of Kunhalikutty, has been levelling allegations of money laundering against the League leader for quite some time.
Jaleel has accused Kunhalikutty of using institutions controlled by the Muslim League for money laundering.