Swapna Suresh revealed role of Kerala CM, Speaker in foreign currency smuggling: Customs in High Court

Swapna Suresh, key accused in gold smuggling cases involving UAE Consulate officials in Thiruvananthapuram, has allegedly said that foreign currency had been smuggled out at the instance of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Assembly Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan. The revelations, with political ramifications in a poll-bound state, have been made in an affidavit that the Customs submitted in the Kerala High Court on March 4.

The affidavit banks on Swapna’s statements before the magistrate court as per Section 108 of the Customs Act and Section 164 of CrPC.

The Speaker’s name had earlier figured in the alleged smuggling of foreign currency out of the country. His personal staff had been questioned by the Customs in January and the Speaker himself had admitted that he was in the ambit of the Customs probe.

This is the first time that the Customs has made an allegation against the Chief Minister, although the name of his former principal secretary M Sivasankar had figured in probes by multiple central agencies looking into various aspects of the gold smuggling and related cases.

The affidavit, submitted by Customs Commissioner (Preventive) Sumit Kumar, said Swapna had revealed her close connection with the Chief Minister, Sivasankar and a personal staff member. “She has also stated with clarity about smuggling of foreign currency at the instance of the Chief Minister and the Speaker with the help of the Consulate. She has also clearly stated about the improper and illegal activities of three ministers of the state Cabinet and the Speaker.”

The Customs submitted the affidavit in response to an application filed by the Directorate of Prisons challenging an order of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Kochi, which directed protection to Swapna in the prison, where she is lodged now.

Swapna had earlier alleged threat to life and said she was warned of dire consequences if she revealed the names of high-profile persons involved in the smuggling cases.

The Customs told the high court that it can produce copies of the statement given by Swapna under Section 164 of CrPC and statement recorded under Section 108 of the Customs Act in a sealed cover for perusal by the court as and when directed by the court. It said the facts revealed in the statement are matters that are exclusively within the personal knowledge of Swapna and can be tendered as evidence in appropriate proceedings only by her.

Neither the chief minister nor his cabinet colleagues have responded to the disclosure of Customs in the court.

However, CPI (M) state secretary, in a statement, said that the realisation that LDF would retain power in Kerala has upset the BJP. The image of the government and the chief minister has stung the BJP. The Central government agencies have been reduced to campaign tools of BJP. In the local body elections, people have defeated the bid to make gains by creating a smokescreen of allegations, it said.

Meanwhile, the LDF would take out marches to all Customs offices in Kerala on Saturday in protest against the “political game to defame the chief minister and the government”.