KOCHI: The enforcement directorate (ED) on Saturday issued a notice to Swapna Suresh, gold smuggling case accused, directing her to appear before it for collecting evidence based on her confidential statement.
The agency asked her to appear on June 22 after the enforcement directorate, New Delhi, directed the Kochi unit to proceed with the probe after examining Swpna’s statement given under Section 164 of CrPC before the magistrate. It is learnt that more serious allegations were in Swapna’s statement than in the deposition which was given earlier during the probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
An officer with the ED investigation team said Swapna had given the statement voluntarily. “The agency has to examine that statement elaborately after collecting evidence from Swapna. Hence, we issued her the notice to appear before the investigation officers,” the officer added. The officer also said the agency is initiating the proceedings under the provisions of the PMLA Act.
“We have no limitations in probing the case based on the statement. Once the collection of evidence is completed, the agency will look into further action including recording statements of those against whom the allegations were levelled by Swapna.”
After appearing before a magistrate court in Ernakulam on June 6, Swapna had revealed that she had given a statement under Section 164 of CrPC narrating the role of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his wife and daughter, former minister K T Jaleel, former speaker P Sreeramakrishnan and top bureaucrats in various smuggling activities.
Saritha plea for Swapna’s statement dismissed
Kochi: The Ernakulam District and Sessions Court on Saturday dismissed the petition filed by solar scam accused Saritha S Nair seeking a certified copy of the statement given by Swapna Suresh before the magistrate in connection with the gold smuggling case. Counsel for Saritha submitted that the petitioner said there were some allegations brought on record against her by Swapna in the statement. However, the court said it has rejected a similar plea filed by the crime branch.