CMRL-Exalogic probe: Kerala govt gets legal opinion, decision soon
Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government will take a decision in the coming days on the course of action to be taken on the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) report in the CMRL-Exalogic case, State Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said on Saturday.
Chennithala said the government had received the Advocate General's legal opinion on the ED report and that the matter would be examined before a final decision is taken.
Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan is currently out of station and will discuss the legal opinion with Chennithala after his return, the Home Minister said.
"Monday is a holiday here. In the coming few days, the State Government will take a decision," Chennithala told reporters.
According to sources, the Advocate General has advised that the government can proceed with an investigation based on the ED's 25-page report submitted to the state police chief. The legal opinion reportedly states that a case can be registered and investigated under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The opinion leaves it to the Vigilance Director to decide whether to conduct a preliminary inquiry or register a full-fledged FIR. It also gives the investigating agency the discretion to determine the nature of the probe. A Vigilance probe is one of the options, while a Crime Branch investigation or a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has also not been ruled out.
The ED report contains allegations and findings concerning financial transactions between Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL) and Exalogic Solutions, a company owned by Veena Vijayan, daughter of former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The ED has alleged that its investigation uncovered evidence and documents beyond the allegations that had surfaced earlier. It has alleged that Pinarayi Vijayan, who was Chief Minister at the time, misused his official position and received illegal payments, with the money allegedly routed through Exalogic.
The agency has sought action under the Prevention of Corruption Act against more than 12 people, including Pinarayi Vijayan, former minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas and Veena Vijayan. The ED has also raised allegations concerning other financial transactions running into several crores and pointed to what it described as a wider financial network beyond the accounts of the companies directly involved in the CMRL-Exalogic transactions.
The report also refers to the alleged involvement of Riyas, Veena Vijayan and a CPI(M) Kozhikode district secretariat member.
The ED had approached the state police chief seeking registration of cases against Pinarayi Vijayan, Riyas, Veena Vijayan and others. It has alleged that CMRL made payments to Veena's now-defunct company Exalogic Solutions and has recommended action under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The government is also facing demands that the case be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), with those making the demand citing concerns over the impartiality of a state Vigilance probe and the wider implications of the allegations.
The final decision by Satheesan and Chennithala is expected to determine whether the matter proceeds through the state Vigilance mechanism or is referred to another investigating agency.
With IANS inputs