Thiruvananthapuram: Gold smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh, in an affidavit filed before the Kerala High Court and which came out in the public domain on Wednesday, alleged that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan sought help from the visiting Sharjah ruler in September 2017 for his daughter’s bid to open an IT business in the emirate.
This came out a day after Swapna Suresh, retorting to Vijayan’s claim that he doesn’t know her, had on Tuesday said: “Very soon, through you (media), I will remind him on my presence at the Cliff House (official residence of Vijayan) discussing things in the presence of his wife Kamala, their daughter Veena, and their son and taking decisions. If he has forgotten that, then I will remind him.”
One reason why the contents of the affidavit surfaced on Wednesday was because the office of Vijayan, in the morning, had released a video of a press conference of Vijayan, wherein he says that Swapna Suresh had come to the Cliff House, along with the UAE Consul General on a few occasions as she was the secretary and was working at the Consulate here and it was an official visit.
The revelations came to counter this video and to keep her promise that she will remind Vijayan that he knows her very well as they have had discussions on various issues and decisions were taken.
Swapna Suresh, in her affidavit filed in 2021 before the Customs, had given all these information with regards to Vijayan and his family members’ involvement.
In this now explosive revelation, which has now become public, she said the Sharjah ruler was in the state to receive a D.Litt from the University of Kerala and on September 26, 2017, a meeting took place on this topic at Vijayan’s official residence, and present on the occasion, were his two top high ranking officials including Nalini Netto and M. Sivasankar.
Swapna Suresh also alleged that later Vijayan also had a word with the Sharjah IT Minister to ensure his daughter is able to open an IT business, and that she herself took up this issue with the high-ranking Sharjah officials.
With regards to another allegation that she had made in her confession statement given before a magistrate earlier this month, which has created a huge protests in the state by the Congress and BJP demanding Vijayan’s resignation, on the smuggling of ‘metals’ in biryani vessels taken from the residence of the UAE Consul General here to Vijayan’s house, she points out that when this took place, the Consul General was worried, till it reached Vijayan’s house.
She states that this is all there in the chat messages between Sivasankar and here.
She goes on to point out that she resisted the attempt of Vijayan’s wife to present jewels to the Sharjah royal family as such a practise is not there among them.
Reacting to these Leader of Opposition V.D.Satheesan said Vijayan has been maintaining stoic silence ever since Swapna Suresh has been making revelations and that in itself tells the tale.
“Vijayan has to break his silence and has to come out with what he has to say,” he said.
Former Leader of Opposition and veteran Congress legislator Ramesh Chennithala who had led the protests when this rocked the state in 2020 and later said all what has come out now is only just the tip of the iceberg.
Meanwhile former Chief Secretary Netto, dismissing all this, said she doesn’t wish to speak to the media on this and if called by any probe agencies, she will say what she has to.
(IANS)
