KOCHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) probing money laundering in the Wadakkancherry LIFE Mission project funded by UAE Red Crescent issued notice to Principal Secretary M Sivasankar to appear for interrogation on Tuesday.
However, Sivasankar has requested to postpone the date as he would be retiring from service on Tuesday. Following his request, ED would be issuing a fresh summons to the bureaucrat soon. The allegation against Sivasankar is that he received money as a commission for the project.
Life Mission case is related to the construction of an apartment complex at Wadakkancherry in 2019. However, a major portion of the fund was diverted as commission to officials of the UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) first registered the case after it was found that the fund was accepted from UAE Red Crescent violating Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA). Based on CBI FIR, ED registered a money laundering case in 2021.
Santhosh Eappen, MD of Unitac Builders, which was awarded the construction work of the project, was questioned by ED recently. Thiruvananthapuram gold smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh and Sarith P S were also grilled by the agency.