Kozhikode (Keralam), Sep 10 (PTI) CPI (M) MLA P A Muhammad Riyas on Thursday dismissed allegations reportedly emerging from the ED probe against him in the CMRL money laundering case, saying the claims were deliberately fabricated to defame him.
The opposition LDF, which is led by the CPI (M), said the Marxist party and its led bloc will fight the matter politically and legally.
Riyas alleged that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) put pressure on his wife, Veena T, who is the daughter of the Leader of the Opposition in the Keralam Assembly, Pinarayi Vijayan, and on one of his friends to give false statements.
The former Tourism minister’s remarks come in the wake of ED sending a letter to DGP Ravada A Chandrasekhar seeking registration of an FIR against Riyas, his father-in-law and former Chief Minister Vijayan, Veena and some others in connection with the alleged Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) bribery case based on “evidence” gathered during its probe and searches conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
News reports claimed that the central probe agency also reportedly found Rs 20 crore was transferred by Veena abroad through Riyas’ friends.
The ED has alleged that CMRL made fraudulent payments of Rs 2.78 crore to Veena’s now-defunct company, Exalogic Solutions, under the guise of “IT consultancy services”.
The federal agency had searched premises linked to Veena, who was living with Vijayan at a rented accommodation in Thiruvananthapuram, in May and subsequently questioned her.
In a social media post, Riyas said the allegations, if contained in a report allegedly leaked by the ED, were “fabricated lies” intended to tarnish his image.
He also rejected reports that Veena had admitted such allegations before the ED, calling them “blatant lies”.
“Let those who enjoy feeding on the flesh of living people and relish such absurdities leaked in the name of an ED investigation continue their game. I will fight it legally,” Riyas said.
Riyas, at a press conference, levelled serious allegations against the ED, claiming that the agency threatened a friend of his and pressured him to name Vijayan, Veena, and him in connection with the probe.
He alleged that after raiding his friend’s house, ED officials asked him to state that Vijayan was involved in the matter. When he refused, they allegedly asked him to say that it was a deal involving Veena instead.
He claimed that, in the presence of his friend’s family members, the ED officials threatened to make his 22-year-old daughter an accused in the case and pressured him to name Vijayan, Veena or Riyas.
Riyas said his friend was mentally shattered the following day and his family was left in deep distress.
“He wrote a letter to the ED retracting the statement, explaining the situation. In that letter, he stated that he was forced to name Riyas, threatened that his daughter would be made an accused, and intimidated,” he said.
Riyas also alleged that the ED was circulating a statement purportedly given by Veena, which she had not actually made before the agency.
“What they said is a blatant lie. She told the ED that her company provided services to CMRL. Then news came out saying she stated she did not provide services. News also came out saying CMRL stated no service was provided,” he said.
Riyas alleged that the ED repeatedly pressured Veena to give a statement about Vijayan’s alleged involvement and threatened to arrest her if she did not cooperate.
“They pressured her many times, but Veena didn’t give in. So they threatened her, saying if she didn’t cooperate, they would adopt a stance to arrest her. All of this happened. Even so, Veena took a strong stance. She stayed firm on her stance,” he said.
Riyas said he would continue the fight against the allegations until his last breath and asserted that Communists would not be intimidated by ED questioning.
“The fight will continue. Until my last breath, I will firmly hold onto the politics upheld by my movement. Unlike the chief ministers of Bengal or Assam, Communists are not people who run away in fear if the ED questions their wives or questions them personally. We will stand until our last breath; we will fight until our last breath, holding fast to this party’s stance,” he said.
Meanwhile, Left Democratic Front (LDF) convenor T P Ramakrishnan told reporters that the CPI(M) and the bloc would face the issue both politically and legally.
Ramakrishnan said no court or investigating agency had so far stated that any wrongdoing had taken place and alleged that the developments were aimed at creating unnecessary suspicion among the public and weakening the CPI(M) and the Left.
“It is true that we, the LDF and the CPI(M), suffered a setback in the recent elections. We have acknowledged that during our review. After identifying the reasons and rebuilding as a stronger movement, the CPI(M) is returning with the confidence of the people,” he said.
Responding to a question about allegations that Vijayan and Riyas had illegally accumulated Rs 20 crore in assets and transferred the money to Dubai, Ramakrishnan said that if the allegations were not fabricated and there was evidence of wrongdoing, the authorities could take action.
“If it isn’t fabricated, let them arrest (them),” he said, reiterating that the hands of Riyas and other CPI(M) leaders were clean and that no wrongdoing had taken place. PTI TBA TBA SA
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