Pinarayi Vijayan Hits Out at ED Over Karuvannur Bank Scam Probe
Pinarayi Vijayan said that the "ED influenced those accused of irregularities through offers of making them approvers. Such persons were made to say things that the ED wanted them to say. The attempt was to discredit the state's cooperative sector"
Kottayam: CPI(M) senior politburo member and opposition leader in Keralam Pinarayi Vijayan, against whom the ED has sought an FIR under the anti-graft law, on Wednesday criticised the agency over its probe into the multi-crore-rupee Karuvannur bank scam, accusing it of trying to target and weaken the state's cooperative sector.
Speaking at the centenary celebrations of a cooperative bank here, Vijayan said that while the state police was taking action against those accused of irregularities in the Karuvannur bank scam, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) intervened in the matter allegedly with the intention of making the CPI(M) a culprit.
"They did so by influencing those accused of irregularities through offers of making them approver. Such persons were made to say things that the ED wanted them to say. The attempt was to discredit the state's cooperative sector.
"Their aim was to destroy the cooperative sector which has lakhs of crores of rupees with them. It was not to improve the sector," he alleged.
He also alleged that it was a politically motivated move by the ED and those controlling its actions to target the CPI(M).
His remarks come in the wake of a recent ED letter to DGP Ravada A Chandrasekhar seeking registration of an FIR against Vijayan, his daughter Veena T, son-in-law P A Mohamed Riyas and some others in connection with the alleged CMRL bribery case on the basis of "evidence" gathered during its probe and searches conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The ED has alleged that Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL) made fraudulent payments of Rs 2.78 crore to Veena's now-defunct company, Exalogic Solutions, under the guise of "IT consultancy services".
The federal agency had searched premises linked to Veena, who was living with Vijayan at a rented accommodation in Thiruvananthapuram, in June and subsequently questioned her.