Life Mission: Kerala Vigilance names Sivasankar accused in graft case

The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) on Monday indicted M. Sivasankar, former Principal Secretary to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, for accepting a sizeable sum as bribe from a builder for nudging a authorities building contract in his path.

In a courtroom submitting, the VACB acknowledged that Mr. Sivasankar had persuaded officers of Life Mission to award the contract to assemble 144 residences for the homeless poor in Thrissur to the enterprise particular person.

Also learn: Sivasankar responsible of offence of cash laundering, says ED

Life Mission is the Kerala authorities’s flagship programme for offering trendy housing for the homeless.

Life Mission-Red Crescent deal

In 2019, the UAE Red Crescent had entered right into a contract with Life Mission to fund the development of 199 flats for needy households in Thrissur.

Also learn: LIFE Mission has no direct coping with Red Crescent: Pinarayi

The understanding was that Red Crescent would construct the dwellings at an estimated price of ₹20 crore and handover the residences to Life Mission.

According to VACB, Life Mission excluded one other builder to safe the contract for the businessperson “recommended” by Mr. Sivasankar.

Also learn: Sivasankar cheated govt., says Minister

Investigators stated UAE Red Crescent deposited an estimated ₹14 crore in the account of the builder. By his admission in the High Court, the builder acknowledged that he had paid ₹4 crore as bribe to bag the contract.

As a set-off in opposition to the bribe, Life Mission whittled down the variety of dwellings from 199 to 144, thereby inflicting loss to the federal government and undue pecuniary benefit to the builder, the VACB acknowledged.

Gold smuggling hyperlink

The company has additionally named UAE consulate-linked gold smuggling case suspects Sandeep Nair, Swapna Suresh and P. Sarith as accused in the case.

At the time of the award of the contract, Mr. Sarith and Ms. Swapna held influential posts in the UAE consulate. The VACB stated Mr. Sandeep had launched the builder to Ms. Suresh who allegedly referred him to Mr. Sivasankar. The builder wired Mr. Sandeep ₹60 lakhs from his account as a bribe. The relaxation he gave him as money purportedly to repay UAE consulate officers.

Later, Ms. Suresh instructed the courtroom that the ₹36 lakhs Customs had discovered in her financial institution locker was the brokerage she acquired from the builder and never proceeds from gold smuggling as suspected.

Ms. Suresh held the locker collectively with a chartered accountant. The auditor instructed Customs that he had opened the protected together with Ms. Suresh on the path of Mr. Sivasankar.

CBI probe

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was additionally probing Life Mission officers and the builder on the cost of violating the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act. The authorities has challenged the CBI’s transfer in the High Court.

The State has deposed that Life Mission had not accepted any overseas contribution from Red Crescent and the UAE consulate was accountable for the execution of the contract.

Swapna examined

The VACB has questioned Life Mission CEO U. V. Jose, IAS. The company was but to call Mr. Jose as accused. It additionally examined Ms. Suresh on the Special Jail for Women, Attakulangara, the place she is beneath preventive detention beneath COFEPOSA.

The VACB acknowledged that the costly smartphone Mr. Sivasankar allegedly accepted as a present from the builder tantamount to corruption.

ED custody

Mr. Sivasankar is at the moment in Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody.

The ED was investigating Mr. Sivasankar on the cost of serving to Ms. Suresh stash away the proceeds of gold smuggling and legitimise the wealth in levels (layering).

In a courtroom submitting, the ED had stated that Mr. Sivasankar had used the heft of his workplace to assist Ms. Suresh frequently clear air freight addressed to the UAE consulate right here with out examination by the Customs.