Thiruvananthapuram: A missing iPhone had emerged as crucial evidence last year as detailed probes were on into the gold smuggling scandal and a related graft case linked to a Life Mission project for which a UAE agency had provided funds. It has been only lately that it was found out that Vinodini Balakrishnan, the wife of former CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, was holding it. She is set to be interrogated over it by not just the Customs, but the Enforcement Directorate (ED) too in the days to come.
The Customs had earlier asked Vinodini to appear at its Kochi office on March 10 for questioning over the iPhone. The ED's Kochi and Bengaluru units are gearing up to record her statements soon after the Customs' questioning.
The Customs has decided to send another notice if Vinodini does not appear for questioning on Wednesday. Santhosh Eapen had made it clear that the phone was handed over to Swapna. The Customs would seek the court's permission to question Swapna again to get clarity over this. But the Customs is likely to question Swapna again only after getting an answer from Vinodini on how she got the phone.
The ED has begun a probe over this iPhone, which was one among the few devices that Santhosh Eapen, the MD of Unitac Builders and Developers, had handed over to gold smuggling accused Swapna Suresh of gifting the UAE Consul General for favours received.
As per the graft case, Santhosh Eapen's firm was awarded the contract to build a residential project under the state government's Life Mission project. It is suspected Swapna facilitated the contract by influencing her contacts in the government and even managed to obtain sponsorship for it from the UAE. However, the people involved in the deal had received kickbacks and costly gifts like the iPhone from the builder. The commission received by Swapna and her aides, including key personnel of the UAE Consulate, was converted into US dollars and smuggled abroad.
Tracing Bineesh
After checking the call list, the Customs had found that Bineesh Kodiyeri, the son of the Kodiyeri couple, had used the same iPhone for some time.
The Customs has informed the ED about the probability of Bineesh using the SIM card in the name of Vinodini. After noticing some numbers that frequently contacted Bineesh, the Bengaluru unit of the ED is also gearing up for the probe as it is looking into the money-laundering charges against him.
This phone was used even after gold smuggling was caught by the Customs in July 2020, but it was found switched off after the UAFX Solutions, which got the UAE visa stamping contract of the Consulate, also came into the picture amid disclosures about the links between the accused in gold smuggling racket and the Life Mission graft case.
A partner of UAFX Solutions was questioned in Bengaluru in connection with the drug and money-laundering case involving Bineesh.
