Santhosh Eapen arrested, released on bail

Santhosh Eapen, the managing director of Unitac Builder, was arrested by the Customs Preventive Commissionerate on Tuesday and released on bail the same day.

The arrest was recorded in the case related to the smuggling of dollars worth ₹1.30 crore.

In a remand report, which was filed in the Economic Offences Court, Ernakulam, the Customs submitted that Mr. Eapen had information that the money he gave as commission for obtaining the contract of the LIFE Mission projects at Wadakancherry, was illegally converted into foreign exchange and smuggled abroad.

Commission paid

Mr. Eapen also admitted that he had given 6% commission to a firm, ISO Monk, which was owned by Sandeep Nair, another accused in the diplomatic channel gold smuggling case, for getting confirmation of the contract of the project.

The agency held that Mr. Eapen had admitted that he the knowledge that Khaled Mohamed Ali Shoukry, the former Finance Head of the UAE Consulate, Thiruvananthapuram, converted the money and took it abroad. Mr. Eapen also abetted the smuggling activity, it said.

The agency submitted that M. Sivasankar had abetted the awarding of the contracts of LIFE Mission project to Unitac Builders.

While releasing Mr. Eapen on bail, the court asked him not to leave the country. He was asked to provide a bail bond of ₹1 lakh and to present himself before the investigation officer in the case.