Pinarayi slams ED in presser; Crucial questioning session on Monday

KOCHI: Pinarayi Vijayan termed the allegation that his daughter Veena admitted to receiving monthly payments as utter nonsense and a blatant lie. With this, the follow-up questioning to be conducted by the Enforcement Directorate starting on Monday became extremely crucial.

In the coming days, the ED will question A.K. Muralikrishnan and A.K. Bhagesh Kumar (who were CMRL’s auditors during the period Veena received the funds), as well as P. Suresh Kumar (who served as Chief Financial Officer and Chief General Manager) and K. Suresh Kumar (who served as Chief Financial Officer). A report submitted by the ED to the DGP states that P. Suresh Kumar had testified that the company paid a bribe of Rs 3.28 crore to the then Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan through his daughter Veena. ED sources indicate that they are being summoned again to seek further clarifications regarding this matter.

Pinarayi slams ED in presser conducted in Kannur

• Letters addressed to the police chief are not usually leaked immediately. The ED must clarify how this reached the media.

• The claim that Veena admitted to receiving 'monthly payments' (retainer fees) is utter nonsense and a blatant lie.

• No undue favours were granted to CMRL. No document proving otherwise has been produced. The initial allegation was that Exalogic was paid without providing services, thereby causing financial loss to CMRL. The new narrative claims it was a bribe for undue favours granted by me in my capacity as Chief Minister.

• The legal validity of the SFIO report is currently under consideration by the Delhi High Court. Meanwhile, attempts are being made to steer the investigation towards me by fabricating a new criminal case.

• All three allegations—regarding sand removal at Thottappally Spillway, land ceiling exemptions, and the Exalogic transaction—have been examined and dismissed by the Vigilance Court, the Kerala High Court, and the Supreme Court.