Kochi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has written a letter to the Registration Department seeking information on all land and buildings registered in the state in the name of Bineesh Kodiyeri, the son of CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.
The ED believes that Bineesh has undeclared properties in four districts. It has also asked the Registration Department to freeze any transfer of assets that are currently in the name of Bineesh.
In addition, the ED has also decided to give Bineesh one more opportunity to disclose all his assets. It will soon issue him a notice in this regard.
After receiving the ED’s letter, the Registration IG has sought relevant information from the 315 registration offices in the state. The details will be examined and a report will be handed over to the ED next week directly from the district offices.
The ED investigation is to find out whether Bineesh Kodiyeri provided financial assistance to the drug racket in Bengaluru that was detected by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
During the initial phase of the interrogations conducted by the ED, Bineesh had handed over documents related to his properties to the investigation team. The agency will compare the details that will be provided by the Registration Department with those handed over by Bineesh before deciding on how to proceed with the investigation.
The ED’s letter to the Registration Department follows its conclusion that Bineesh’s earnings are much more than what he has revealed to the agency. If it can establish this, then the agency can register a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), according to the legal advice it has received. It may question Bineesh again in the coming days. The agency has asked him to get himself tested for COVID before he can be questioned.
The intelligence unit of the Income-Tax Department has also launched an investigation into Bineesh's financial dealings. The NCB, which is probing the Bengaluru drug case, will also record his statement soon.
Search for details using software tedious
The Registration Department is trying to collect information about registrations made in Bineesh's name with the help of a software. However, the department does not have a system in place to detect the complete details.
The software does the search based on names provided in Malayalam. So, the department is looking for details attached to names like Bineesh or Kodiyeri. Such a check will, however, not be able to detect transactions made in the name of benamis.
Won’t interfere: Kodiyeri
Thiruvananthapuram: CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has said that neither he nor his party will interfere in any probe against his son Bineesh Kodiyeri. He said he has already made that clear.
“Let there be any investigation. If he is guilty, let him be punished. Let the agencies take any action in that regard. The party will not obstruct any investigation,” Kodiyeri said.
