Kochi, Sep 16 (IANS) : The Enforcement Directorate’s case in the CMRL-Exalogic monthly payment controversy on Wednesday ran into a fresh challenge with CMRL Chief Financial Officer K.S. Suresh Kumar submitting an affidavit seeking to withdraw the statement he had given to the agency, in which he had linked payments made to Veena Vijayan to her position as the daughter of then Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The development comes days after the ED submitted a report to the Kerala Police seeking action against Pinarayi Vijayan, Veena, her husband and CPI(M) legislator P.A. Mohammed Riyas over alleged corruption and money-laundering offences.
The ED had relied substantially on Suresh Kumar’s statement in its report, alleging that payments made by CMRL to Veena’s company, Exalogic Solutions, were bribes intended for Pinarayi.
Suresh Kumar has alleged that ED officials threatened him and obtained his statement under pressure.
He has further alleged that the investigating officers were unwilling to record or consider the answers he actually gave during questioning.
Suresh Kumar also alleged that he was pressured to name political leaders.
He has now sought to retract the earlier version of his statement and correct what he had told the ED. His earlier statement had assumed significance in the ED’s latest findings.
According to the agency’s report, he stated that CMRL continued making payments to Veena because of her influence, as she was the daughter of Pinarayi Vijayan.
The ED interpreted the payments as bribes allegedly received by Vijayan through his daughter.
The development comes as the state government is examining the ED’s request to register a case against Vijayan, Veena and Riyas.
The government has sought legal advice before deciding on further action.
Reacting to the fresh development, Riyas said the way the “ED in the country behaves is known to all”, after hearing from people who have been subjected to the ED probe.
“The details that were in the dairy were just forward planning done by her (Veena) as she was to start a new business,” said Riyas.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan said Vijayan and Riyas were making contradictory statements about the ‘red diary’. Vijayan categorically said there was no such diary, while Riyas said there was one.
