Kochi: The Enforcement Directorate has booked Santosh Eapen, the Managing Director of Unitac Builders & Developers, as the first accused in the money-laundering case linked to a Life Mission housing project in Wadakkanchery, Palakkad district.
As per the case, the 49-year-old Chottanikkara native had pocketed Rs 4.4 crore as commission from the Rs 18.5 crore donated by the UAE NGO Red Crescent for the state government's Life Mission housing project at Wadkancherry.
Santosh allegedly used the commission amount to buy US dollars equivalent to Rs 3.80 crore from the black market and handed over the money to top officials of the UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram.
Santosh had deputed two staff members of his company for buying dollars from the black market. The ED will soon question these duo along with Santosh.
26 percent pocketed as commission
Investigations revealed Santosh had promised 26% of the project amount as commission for UAE consular officials. Swapna Suresh and P S Sarith, two of the accused in the sensational Kerala gold smuggling case, had acted as the go-between between the builder and the consular personnel for the delivery of kickbacks. Earlier they had also intervened to swing for Unitac the construction contract for building 140 apartments as part of the Life Mission project in Wadakkanchery. The construction of a 6,000 square feet hospital was also part of the contract awarded by the Kerala government.
One-fifth of the commission amount was given to UAE Consul General Jamal Hussein Al Sabi and 6% to Swapna and her accomplices. Swapna and UAE Consulate's finance officer Khalid Ali Shoukri had apprised Santosh that the commission should be paid in advance to Jamal for securing the project contract.
Santosh got them on board promising that if he received the money for the project he would give 20% to the Consul General and 6% to Swapna and her aides.
On August 1, 2019, Rs 5.25 crore and Rs 2.25 crore were transferred to two Unitac accounts kept in two different bank branches in Vyttila, Kochi.
Santosh withdrew the amount on the same day. Of the total amount Rs 3.80 crore was changed into dollars and given to Sarith through Khalid the next day.
Now, accused in 3 cases
The ED expects to get more details regarding the money laundering connected with the Life Mission project once Santosh is questioned in custody. With the latest case, Santosh has been accused in all the 3 cases registered by the central investigation agencies in connection with the gold smuggling case in which the UAE consular staff and people associated with them are named.
