States »SoutPosted at: Apr 10 2021 8:17PM Dollar smuggling case: Customs records statement of Kerala Assembly Speaker
Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 10 (UNI) In a major embarrassment to the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front Government in Kerala, the customs department probing the dollar smuggling case, recorded the statement of Assembly Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan officials said here on Saturday.
Following media reports that the Speaker had been questioned by the probe agency in the case, the Speaker's office came out with a statement stating that he had not been questioned, but the customs officials only recorded his statement relating to the probe.
The officials of the customs department in Kochi reached the Speaker's residence here on Friday as the Speaker had informed them that he was unable to reach the Kochi office due to health problems.
The customs sleuths sought certain explanations from the Speaker and spent more than two hours at his official residence, sources said.
Earlier, the customs had summoned the Speaker thrice to appear before them at their Kochi office to record his statement regarding the smuggling of US Dollar 1,90,000 by a former employee of the UAE Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram. The issue came to light when the probe agency was investigating the role of Swapna Suresh, a key accused in the controversial diplomatic baggage Gold Smuggling case.
It was reported that Swapna Suresh, in her statement, mentioned the names of Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan and some other ministers related to the smuggling case involving UAE Consulate officials.
Another accused in the case PS Sarith reportedly told the Enforcement Directorate, probing the gold smuggling case, that the Assembly Speaker had made investment in a college in Oman.
The accused also said Sreeramakrishnan handed over currency bundles meant for a UAE consulate official at a flat in Thiruvananthapuram.
Swapna Suresh had also reportedly stated that the Speaker had tried to befriend her "for some personal dirty intentions." However, the Speaker rejected her allegations stating that it was a political agenda against the Left Government and its leaders to tarnish their image ahead of the April 6 assembly polls in the state.
In connection with the dollar smuggling case, the customs officials recorded the statement of Sreeramakrishnan''s assistant private secretary, K Ayyappan, to on January 8, 2021.
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