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Kerala: After gold smuggling and LIFE mission case, ED probes Swapna Suresh's appointment at Space Park

The Enforcement Directorate has sought details on Swapna Suresh's appointment at the Space Park. 

Kerala After gold smuggling and LIFE mission case, ED probes Swapna Suresh's appointment at Space Park ANR
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First Published Mar 22, 2023, 3:39 PM IST

Following the investigation of the high-profile gold smuggling case and LIFE mission scam, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has initiated a probe into the appointment of Swapna Suresh, accused in the gold smuggling case. ED has sought details on Swapna Suresh's appointment at the Space Park. 

The statement of Santhosh Kurup, who was then the Space Park Special Officer, was recorded on the matter. The ED also sent notices to representatives of PricewaterhouseCoopers. Swapna Suresh was appointed as a consultant in Space Park by M Sivasankar, former principal secretary to the Chief Minister.

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KSITIL's Space Park project, under the IT Department, is headed by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Swapna Suresh was appointed as the operations manager in this project. From October 2019, she got a monthly salary of Rs 1,12,000. The appointment was given after a meeting held by then KSITIL MD Jayashankar Prasad.

After the gold smuggling case came to light, the government and the CPM argued that Swapna was only an employee of PricewaterhouseCoopers, a consulting company. The arguments that the responsibility lies solely with PWC and Visiontech, which was advertised as a recruiting agency, were also ridiculed at that time.

After two-and-a-half years, WhatsApp chats produced by the Enforcement Directorate in court yesterday are strengthening the allegations made at that time. Swapna has herself revealed that the appointment was made directly by Sivasankar and alleged that the Chief Minister was also involved in her appointment. 

With the release of the WhatsApp chats allegedly proving that the appointment of Swapna Suresh in the Space Park project of the state government was with the knowledge of the Chief Minister, the defensive statements issued by the CPM at the time of the gold smuggling controversy stand exposed.

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