Swapna Suresh, the prime suspect in the case of gold smuggling using diplomatic pouches, on Wednesday said that she stands by her statements against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of taking a bag full of money in Dubai back in 2016.
Suresh made these explosive claims to a group of journalists, just after recording her statement at a local magistrate court in Kochi under Section 164 of CrPC.
Suresh levelled the allegation before the media in Kochi on Tuesday after giving a statement at a local court as per section 164 of CrPC in a money laundering case that came up during the probe into gold smuggling. Following this, Vijayan refuted the allegation saying that it was part of a “certain agenda” against him.
On Tuesday, Suresh said that the genesis of the scam lies in the CM’s visit to UAE back in 2016 when she was posted at the Consulate. Soon, she was contacted by Vijayan’s former Principal Secretary Sivashankar, who was later arrested in connection same case, directing her to bring a bag left by Vijayan to Dubai. After the bag was brought to the consulate, she had discovered there was money in it.
While stating that she is facing threats as she had levelled charges against the Kerala CM, Suresh told the media, “I don’t have any political or any kind of personal agenda behind giving the statement to the court. What I stated in the statement as per section 164, had already been shared with the investigating agencies in the past. I am facing a threat and my present employer is also facing several hardships due to this.., I have given a statement against CM Vijayan only because there is evidence.”
Pointing out that Vijayan’s wife Kamala and daughter Veena are enjoying comfortable lives, Suresh, a former secretary at the UAE consulate, said that she was “left to suffer.”
On Wednesday, the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) held another accused in the gold smuggling case PS Sarith in connection with the Kerala Life Mission housing scam case. He was soon released after his phone was seized during the course of investigation.