UAE consulate’s attaché recalled

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: While the investigation into the gold smuggling case is progressing, charge de’ affairs (attaché) at the UAE consulate here, Rashid Khamis Al Sheimeili has been recalled by the UAE government. The official who left Thiruvananthapuram for New Delhi is learnt to have gone back to the UAE from there.
The consignment containing 30kg gold was addressed to the attaché from another main accused Faisal Fareed, and it was also found that the day when the gold was intercepted by the customs, he had contacted one of the key accused in the case, Swapna Suresh, multiple times.
Suresh, in her bail petition, had claimed that she contacted the customs officials at the cargo complex of Thiruvananthapuram airport on the instructions of the attaché, as part of her official duties as she was the part-time secretary of the consular general.
The customs and National Investigation Agency sleuths had also questioned some of the contract employees of the UAE consulate. Also, the call records of Swapna had revealed that she had been actively in touch with the attaché. As per the call records, she had contacted the attaché many times till July 5.
However, the recalling of the attaché to UAE would not have any bearing on the the case as a diplomatic agent enjoys immunity from criminal jurisdiction in the country.
“The person of a diplomatic agent shall be inviolable. He shall not be liable to any form of arrest or detention,” says the immunity and violability section in the protocol manual. Also, he enjoys immunity from civil and administrative jurisdiction, with exceptions. A diplomatic agent is also not obliged to give evidence as a witness.
Sources said at the best, the government can forward the report against the foreign agent through the MEA to the UAE, where the UAE government, if it wishes to do so, can take action against the agent.
In the case of the foreign attaché, the UAE government may take action, including stripping him of his job, but he is mostly unlikely to be subjected to any kind of legal proceedings here in connection with the case, sources said.
Meanwhile, the customs continued to hold searches as part of evidence collection. The agency sleuths searched the hotel close to the apartment complex where M Sivasankar was residing. It has been learnt that the accused have met at this hotel.
The customs are likely to interrogate him further after gathering more evidence and on the basis of the statements given by Suresh and Sandeep Nair, another accused in the case.