KOCHI: Lawyer of M Sivasankar told court that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is targeting the office of the chief minister in the gold smuggling case. Sivasankar has admitted to have called the customs officer in April 2019. Why is the ED not revealing the name of the customs officer, asked the lawyer? Food items arrived in the bag in Kochi that time. The lawyer argued that Sivasankar called the food safety commissioner.

Sivasankar directed to keep the illegal money safely in the locker, this is just Swapna’s statement, the lawyer argued in the court. However, the court said that it is understood that Sivasankar helped knowing that the income was from smuggling.

The conspiracy in the smuggling started only in June 2019, but the locker was opened in August 2018, the lawyer told the court. The question is how it can be linked to the smuggling. Swapna may have given statement against Sivasankar out of severe mental stress. She is in the custody of investigating agencies since the past four months. However, the court pointed her statement was registered in the presence of the jail superintendent.