Thrissur: A day after raiding the house and office of CPM state committee member and former minister, MLA A C Moideen, over a money laundering case related to Karuvannur Co-operative bank fraud, Enforcement Directorate has taken action to freeze his two bank accounts on Wednesday.
According to reports, these bank accounts have deposits worth Rs 31 lakh.
Apart from Moideen's bank account, the central agency has also given directions to freeze the bank accounts of Maharashtra native Anil Kumar and Kannur native Satheean, a money lender. Anil Kumar has been engaged in selling gold pledged in banks.
According to reports, ED will serve notice to Moideen asking him to appear for an interrogation.
The central agency held searches at his house and premises on Tuesday in connection with a money laundering probe into the alleged Rs 100-crore fraud in the Karuvannur Cooperative Bank which was controlled by the CPM.
Moideen denies wrongdoing in bank fraud
Meanwhile, A C Moideen termed the 22-hour-long Enforcement Directorate searches at his residence as “part of an agenda” and denied any misconduct over the financial affairs of the scam-hit Karuvannur Cooperative Bank.
"I felt the manner in which they held the searches suggested they were acting at the behest of certain others,” the CPM leader alleged.
Moideen played down the searches and said the whole exercise was a deliberate and planned one.
“I don’t know what is the big deal about it. They told me one person has given a statement against me. It is alleged that I had directed the bank authorities to change the criteria to help extend loans illegally. If that is the case, they should have asked what specific order I had issued,” he said.
Moideen, a member of the CPM State Committee, also categorically denied any misdoings.
"The alleged interference in the bank's affairs happened while I was the (Trichur) district secretary of the party. I was not a minister then. Neither have I interfered regarding loans nor for advancing the loan to a particular individual," Moideen stated.
He blamed the long duration of the search on 'inexperienced' ED officials.
“The exercise got prolonged until early morning because of the inexperience of officials. They examined every document and discussed it with each other throughout the search. They have seized nothing from my house. The details regarding my bank account, and the assets owned by my wife and children were examined. They asked me to hand over the passbook which was not at home,” Moideen told reporters.
“The ED officers of the Kochi unit reached my house at 7.30 am yesterday. They told me the searches are part of the inquiry into the Karuvannur loan scam. They carried out a detailed search and covered every nook and corner of the house, including the book rack. I don’t have any issues with the searches. I fully cooperated with them. They returned after giving a statement,” the Kunnamkulam MLA said.
Speaking to media personnel he said: "You people were made to wait for 22 hours; that was their agenda. I think certain people are indulging in activities like these to help certain quarters while the big fraudsters escape."
