The Enforcement Directorate (ED) will service notice again to C. M. Raveendran, Additional Private Secretary to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, to appear at its office here as part of its probe into the money laundering and layering aspects of the UAE gold smuggling case.
The agency had reportedly asked him to appear on November 6. However, it was delayed after Mr. Raveendran informed the ED that he had tested positive for COVID-19. The ED has now received a communication from him stating that he has tested negative but will remain under home quarantine till November 26. A decision on the date of summoning Mr. Raveendran will be taken by the agency on Monday.
The ED wanted to quiz him following the arrest and subsequent interrogation of M. Sivasankar, former Principal Secretary to Chief Minister. Even though the investigating team remained tight-lipped on Mr. Raveendran's role in the case, it is learnt that they are keen to probe his role in the allotment and funding for some of the flagship projects initiated by the Information Technology Department. The agency would also investigate whether Mr. Raveendran had any links with Swapna Suresh, the key accused in the gold smuggling case.
The Opposition had criticised the Chief Minister right from the initial stages of the case that his office was under the shadow of suspicion for its alleged support offered to the gold smuggling racket. It had claimed that the involvement of Mr. Sivasankar and the decision by the ED to summon Mr. Raveendran were proof for the dubious role played by the office of the Chief Minister in the entire case.
