Enforcement Directorate to question Swapna, Sivasankar simultaneously

Enforcement Directorate to question Swapna, Sivasankar simultaneously
M Sivasankar and Swapna Suresh

Thiruvananthapuram: A simultaneous but separate interrogation of the two key figures in the gold smuggling case has been planned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The agency will question accused M Sivasankar and his associate Swapna Suresh over two days, starting Tuesday. The move is to corroborate the answers given by the two.

Sivasankar is the former principal secretary to the Kerala chief minister. He is likely to be interrogated in Kochi on Tuesday, whereas Swapna will be quizzed on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Attakulangara jail on the outskirts of Kerala's capital city.

ED joint director Manish Godara will be leading the team deployed for questioning the duo.

The ED's attempt would be to get some clarity on Swapna's intervention in government projects. The questions related to the issue were ducked by Sivasankar during his questioning.

The court had already granted permission to the ED to question Swpana in jail.

The Kerala government is all set to hand over to the ED all documents connected with its mega projects which were monitored by Sivasankar while being the principal secretary to the chief minister.

Four more booked

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arraigned five persons afresh in the gold smuggling case. Of these four are at large in a foreign country. The investigation agency will seek Interpol's assistance to bring them back to the state.

The persons arraigned afresh in the case are: Mohammad Aslam, 47, of Wandoor; K Abdul Latheef, 47, Vengara; Nasseruddin Shah, 32 of Kottakkal; Sabu, 36, of Pookotoor; and Mohammad Manzoor, alias, Manju of Omassery, Kozhikode.

Barring Mohammad Islam, all others are from Malappuram district and are currently in the UAE. With this the total number of accused in the gold smuggling case has gone up to 35 of which 9 are abroad.

The Customs had unearthed the gold smuggling case in July. PS Sarith, a former employee of the UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram, was initially arrested over his alleged bid to help smuggle 30 kg gold in diplomatic baggage. Soon, the role of Swapna and her links to Sivasankar too came to light and both were arrested in the course of the probe.

The comments posted here/below/in the given space are not on behalf of Onmanorama. The person posting the comment will be in sole ownership of its responsibility. According to the central government's IT rules, obscene or offensive statement made against a person, religion, community or nation is a punishable offense, and legal action would be taken against people who indulge in such activities.