Bengaluru: The Enforcement Directorate has questioned Abdul Latheef, suspected to be the main benami of Bineesh Kodiyeri. Abdul Latheef is the owner of the Thiruvananthapuram firm Car Palace.
Latheef, who had earlier informed that he was in COVID quarantine, arrived at the ED zonal office at Shanthi Nagar in Bengaluru on Friday.
Bineesh had earlier informed the ED that a loan was taken upon the Old Coffee House at Shangumugham and this amount was handed over to drug case accused Anoop. Latheef co-owned the Coffee House with Bineesh.
Apart from questions over this, the ED sought explanations from Latheef on Bineesh's partnership in Car Palace, UAFX Solutions, and Capito Lights. The questioning that began at 10am on Friday continued till late into the night.
Meanwhile, Bineesh was taken back to the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison after the four-day custody period of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) ended on Friday. The NCB did not reportedly seek to extend his custody as ED plans to question both Bineesh and Latheef together, according to sources.
The ED had found that Bineesh transferred over Rs 50 lakh to the account of drug case accused Anoop Mohammad and that he was questioned to ascertain if this was linked to drug deals, as per the remand report submitted by the NCB in court.
The NCB arrested Suhas Krishna Gowda (GK), friend of Anoop Mohammed, in the drug case on Friday. He had deposed that Bineesh used cocaine.
The ED had arrested Bineesh in the money-laundering case on October 29. He has been remanded to judicial custody till November 25. His bail application will be considered on November 24. The NCB could also seek custody of Bineesh again.