'Let NIA probe come to CMO... all big sharks in gold smuggling should be caught', says Kerala CM
Jul 13, 2020
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], July 13 : Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday urged to wait for the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to investigate the gold smuggling case and not to have any preconception about the case.
He has also extended the State government's help to support the agency in its probe.
"Let NIA investigate the case, no one has to be prejudiced. Let all big sharks, who are behind the gold smuggling, come out," said Kerala Chief Minister who had earlier ousted his Principal Secretary after his links with Swapna Suresh, one of the accused in gold smuggling case came out.
"In the initial investigation, NIA has said that the money from gold smuggling was used for terror funding, which is a serious issue. All those who were involved should be brought to book. If a probe comes to CMO let it come, let them investigate and find out the truth. I am not going to protect anyone, "said the Chief Minister.
On being asking about the gold smuggling case, the Chief Minister advised the media persons not to divert the case. "I would request you to not divert the case. NIA is probing the case in an efficient manner. Let them have all the freedom. Why anyone should be judgemental about the probe at a nascent stage. Let them investigate. I know the probe might be frightening for many. NIA should find all those involved in the smuggling," he said.
Regarding the action against the former Principal Secretary, whom the opposition is demanding suspension, Vijayan said, "M Sivasankar was removed from Principal Secretary post after the links with accused (Swapna Suresh) came to the fore. The government have asked to conduct an enquiry on how the woman was given posting in the IT department."
"Other than the link with the woman, no other grounds are there to suspend him now. A government cannot take action based on the figment of imaginations. Let the probe be completed, " added Vijayan.
He said that there is no ground for opposition demanding the Kerala speaker to step down.
"The woman had participated in public functions as a diplomatic official. Back then, nobody had known the woman had such a background. Only now, we came to know about this. The speaker had just inaugurated a shop when there was no controversy about the woman. It had happened many months back," he said.
When asked how Swapna Suresh managed to cross the state (Kerala) during a lockdown, he said, "The investigation agency would soon find out as she is in NIA custody."
He also brushed aside the threat of opposition to moving non-confidence motion by saying "They don't have any concrete issues to raise against the government."
