Life Mission scam is sponsored terrorism; ex-principal secretary to Kerala CM is mastermind: ED to High Court
The Additional Solicitor General also informed the court that M Sivasankar, the former principal secretary to the Chief Minister, was the mastermind.
FollowKochi: The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday informed the High Court that the black money transactions in the Life Mission scam case are sponsored terrorism. The Additional Solicitor General also informed the court that M Sivasankar, the former principal secretary to the Chief Minister, was the mastermind. However, the court expressed doubts as to how two cases are being taken on account of the money found in Swapna Suresh's locker, the accused in the high-profile gold smuggling case.
The ED informed the court about these matters while considering the bail plea of M Sivasankar, who was arrested and remanded in the Life Mission scam case. ED said that Sivasankar is the real owner of the money in the locker, and chartered accountants Venugopal and Swapna Suresh have provided a statement in this regard.
Also Read:Â Brahmapuram fire: Soaring temperature led to another fire, says police report
"The accused attempted to finance terrorism using illicit financial activities. The centre of it all was Sivasankar. It is necessary to record any additional transaction-related documentation. Sivasankar received bail even after he was previously detained due to health issues. Yet, he was soon reinstated. The notion that bail should be granted due to health issues will thus not hold up," the ED informed the court.
However, the court questioned why another case was being brought in relation to the same locker because the ED had already detained Sivasankar in connection with the money found in Swapna's locker. The ED's response was that after looking into the gold smuggling transactions, they became certain that the Life Mission scam was taking place.
The judge countered that the second claim could hardly have been looked into in the first case itself. The case's closing arguments were tabled until tomorrow at the request of Sivasankar's lawyer.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had taken former principal secretary to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan M Sivasankar into custody in connection with an alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulations) Act in the Life Mission project. He was arrested in a related gold smuggling case involving diplomatic baggage to the UAE consulate earlier. The Life Mission project aims at providing houses for the poor at Wadakkanchery in Thrissur district of Kerala.
Also Read:Â IAF's 'Kargil Courier' airlifted over 3000 stranded passengers this winter
