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Kerala CM Vijayan helped UAE man flee, claims Swapna Suresh
Swapna Suresh claimed that the UAE national had arrived at the Kozhikode airport (north Kerala) on June 30, spent four days in the state and he was apprehended while going back. She alleged that the “CM had misused his power to help a foreign national whose antecedents were suspicious.”
Prime accused in Kerala gold smuggling case Swapna Suresh on Monday alleged that chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan helped a United Arab Emirates national, who was caught with a satellite phone, to escape the law five years ago.
Talking to the media in Kochi she said, an Egypt-born UAE national was held at Cochin airport on July 4, 2017 by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel with a Thuraya satellite phone and later, he was handed over to the Nedumbassery police.(Most satellite phones are banned in India but Inmarsat-based phones are allowed only after due permission and registration.)
Suresh alleged that three days after, the CM’s office intervened and he was allowed to fly out of the country.
“The day he was arrested I got a call from the UAE consulate in the state capital to speak to the CM’s office. I called up his secretary M Sivasankar and informed him about this. He called me after 10 minutes saying an official was engaged to help his release immediately,” she said.
Suresh claimed that the UAE national had arrived at the Kozhikode airport (north Kerala) on June 30, spent four days in the state and he was apprehended while going back. She alleged that the “CM had misused his power to help a foreign national whose antecedents were suspicious.”
“His antecedents were quite suspicious. He was sent back without probing his activities in the state for four days. How can the CM’s office interfere blatantly to get his release? These illegal activities were done to ensure that CM’s daughter Veena Vijayan is able to start a business venture in the UAE,” she said.
“It is natural UAE officials get in touch with officials in Kerala when their nationals court troubles. But how can the CM intervene in such a sensitive case? The UAE national was let off without probing his activities in the state. If you want to confirm this you can check with Nedumbassery police station or the CISF,” she said.
She reiterated her charges that she had several meetings with the CM at his official residence and the latter was keen on his daughter’s business venture in Sharjah. “Initially, the CM said he doesn’t know me at all. Later he said she came to his residence with UAE officials. Now he is silent. Ask him why is he so worried over my disclosure and has slapped several cases against me?” she said, adding she will reveal more in coming days.
Suresh said she won’t allow others to get away by making her a “mere scapegoat” and as a secretary to attaché, she only carried out the instructions from her bosses. In June she had alleged that the CM and his family was aware of all the activities in the UAE consulate in the state capital.
The gold smuggling incident had come to light on July 5, 2020 after the customs department seized 30kg gold from a consignment that came to the UAE consulate camouflaged as a diplomatic bag. Now a multi-agency probe is on and all arrested (30) are out on bail.
The accused include CM’s former secretary Sivashankar, a senior IAS officer, who is back in service after one- and a- half- year suspension. As the gold consignment was found camouflaged in diplomatic baggage it was exempted from the inspection under the Vienna Convention. In the charge sheet customs said the gang smuggled around 180kg gold between November 2019 and June 2020 via the consulate. Swapna, a former employee of the UAE consulate, is second accused in the case. Besides customs, Enforcement Directorate, National Investigation Agency and CBI are probing different cases related to the smuggling.
