Thiruvananthapuram: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has expanded its probe into the Rs 58 crore that Swapna Suresh and her accomplices accused in the Trivandrum airport gold smuggling case received in an account opened supposedly for charitable activities in the name of the UAE Consulate.
The CBI may investigate violations of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) in receiving the amount.
The ED’s investigating is looking at who all got this money.
It was to this account that Red Crescent's Rs 20 crore grant for the controversial Life Mission project in Wadakkanchery was transferred.
The UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram has six accounts in a bank in Karamana. One of those accounts gets money from the UAE for the Consulate’s expenses.
A second account was opened for charitable activities. Investigation agencies suspect forged documents were used to open it.
The remaining four accounts are used by the Consulate for its day-to-day transactions here. Money that was received from abroad was transferred to these accounts and used for other purposes. That's how the Red Crescent's money was given to Unitac for the Life Mission.
Money from abroad was transferred to these accounts and used for various purposes. That's how the Rs 20 crore received from Red Crescent of the UAE was given to Unitac for the Life Mission project.
Of the Rs 20 crore, Rs 14.5 crore was given to Unitac and the rest to various groups. The ED collected records of these transactions.
Swapna has a personal account in the same bank. As on June 26, 2019, Rs 8 lakh had been deposited in this account. It had grown to Rs 8.4 lakh with interest. Swapna had also opened a locker in the bank.
Commission for dates distribution
Investigators have found that Swapna Suresh had taken commission for the 17,000 kilogrammes of dates that were brought through the diplomatic channel in 2017 in the name of the UAE Consulate. This revelation has put the government, which had distributed the dates, in a spot.
Swapna admitted to having taken commission during her questioning by the NIA and Customs in connection with the gold smuggling case. An inquiry has been launched to verify if the statement is correct.
Investigators have learned that she had got commission in both Dubai and Kerala. Agencies have expanded their investigations to find out why she was paid commission for what was supposed to be a gift from the ruler of Dubai to the children in Kerala.
The state government had received and distributed the dates to children in orphanages and special schools in Kerala since it was a gift from the ruler of Dubai. The ceremony to inaugurate the distribution was attended by the chief minister and others from the government. Swapna was the head of the ceremony. The Customs Department was told that the dates were for use at the Consulate. The agencies will look into how the consignment meant for consulate use ended up with the government as a gift from the Dubai ruler.
The consignment of date had arrived in a container at the Kochi port. P S Sarith Kumar, the first accused in the gold smuggling case, and Swapna had gone to the port to directly collect the consignment.
The Customs Department had written to the departments of General Administration and Social Justice requesting an account of the distribution and orders that were issued related to the distribution. But in their replies, there are no exact figures or details of any orders issued. According to the Department of Social Justice, it had only verbal instructions for the distribution.
The case may be taken up by the CBI once the Customs submit its report as the distribution of dates has been found to be in violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA). The CBI investigates all FCRA violations.
