Thiruvananthapuram: The vigilance and anti-corruption bureau team probing the Wadakkanchery Life Mission corruption case is learnt to have obtained leads to suggest that M Sivasankar, former principal secretary to CM, was well-aware of the activities of Swapna Suresh, prime accused in gold smuggling case.
After ED, the vigilance also confirmed that Rs 1.5 crore that was recovered from the bank locker of Suresh was commission money from the Life Mission project deal. The vigilance inference is that this money is the part of Rs 3.80 crore that was handed over by Unitac Builders director Santhosh Eapen to the UAE consulate official Khaled Shoukry, an Egyptian native. This money was kept in two bank lockers by Suresh.
According to sources, Suresh gave a statement to vigilance that she had received Rs 50 lakhs as commission from the contract for rebuilding 150 houses that were damaged in the floods. Of this, Rs 35 lakhs was taken to the residence of the chartered accountant by her alongwith Sivasankar. The contract for rebuilding the houses was bagged by the Car Palace group, allegedly associated with Bengaluru drug case accused Bineesh Kodiyeri.
On Thursday, vigilance investigators recorded the statements of Life Mission chief executive officer U V Jose here on Thursday. It is the second time that vigilance sleuths are interrogating Jose in connection with the probe. It is reliably learnt that Thursday’s meeting was to seek some clarifications after examining the files and other materials concerning the Wadakkancherry housing project.
When his statements were recorded earlier, Jose is learnt to have given statements clarifying Sivasankar’s involvement in the Wadakkancherry project. He had said that he was not in the know-how of things, and all steps taken, including the signing of agreements, was done on the instructions of Sivasankar.
As per the preliminary findings of the agency, Unitac Builders and Sane Ventures obtained funds from the account of the UAE consulate for the project. The two builders and officials of Life Mission as well as some private persons hatched conspiracy between themselves and obtained pecuniary advantages for themselves.
While Unitac Builders and Sane Ventures, the two construction firms that bagged the contract for the Wadakkancherry housing project and hospital project, are the first and second accused, Life Mission officials are the third and fourth accused in the case. The agency has made Sivasankar as the fifth accused in the case.