CMRL-Exalogic case: CFO seeks to retract ED statement, alleges coercion
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Kochi: The Enforcement Directorate’s probe into alleged payments between CMRL and Exalogic Solutions faced a fresh challenge on Wednesday after CMRL Chief Financial Officer (CFO) K.S. Suresh Kumar filed an affidavit seeking to withdraw a statement he had given to the agency.
In the statement, Kumar had allegedly linked payments made by Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL) to Veena Vijayan’s position as the daughter of then Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Kumar has now alleged that ED officials threatened and pressured him into giving the statement. He further claimed that the officers did not properly record his responses during questioning and insisted that he name political leaders.
The CMRL official has sought to retract the earlier statement and submit a corrected version of his deposition. His initial statement had reportedly formed an important part of the ED’s recent report to the Kerala Police.
The agency’s report alleged that CMRL continued making payments to Veena Vijayan’s company, Exalogic Solutions, because of her influence and her connection with her father. The ED interpreted the payments as bribes allegedly routed to Pinarayi Vijayan through his daughter.
The development comes days after the ED sought police action against Pinarayi Vijayan, Veena Vijayan, her husband and CPI(M) legislator P.A. Mohammed Riyas over alleged corruption and money-laundering offences. The Kerala government is examining the request and has sought legal advice before deciding whether to register a case.
Riyas criticised the ED’s functioning, saying its conduct was known to people who had faced its investigations.
He also rejected allegations surrounding a purported “red diary”, saying the entries referred to advance planning by Veena Vijayan as she prepared to launch a new business.
Earlier on Wednesday, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan said Pinarayi Vijayan and Riyas had made contradictory claims about the diary. While Vijayan had denied that such a diary existed, Riyas had acknowledged its existence.
The allegations made by Kumar are likely to become significant in the next stage of the case, as the ED had relied on his statement while preparing its report for the state police.
(Inputs from IANS)