KERALA GOLD SMUGGLING: ED REJECTS CLAIMS OF COERCION BY KEY ACCUSED

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/ NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate rejected the claims of coercion made in an audio clip purportedly by Kerala gold smuggling case “prime accused” Swapna Suresh and officials said on Friday that the agency was digging deeper into the money laundering trail that involves a number of people.

The central probe agency has also written to the Kerala Prisons Department seeking a probe into how the clip was recorded and circulated in violation of guidelines meant for the accused in jail.

The officials said if the clip is true, it is a “serious breach” of legal procedures and aims at jeopardising the probe.

An online news portal is stated to have released a voice clip that is purportedly of Suresh, at present in judicial custody, who alleged the ED was putting pressure on her to give a statement against chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The officials said Suresh is a “prime accused” in the case and the allegations made in the clip of coercion by the ED to take certain names are “false and aimed to stall probe in the case”.

They added that the ED has not offered her to be made an approver in the case.

The officials said the agency is “digging deep” into this money laundering case linked to gold smuggling and is looking to unravel the entire money trail that reached various people. Suresh has been questioned in this case and her statement recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) that has been duly signed by her. The entire proceeding has been done as per law, they said.