The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is understood to have issued former Minister and CPI(M) State committee member A.C Moideen a fresh notice to appear at its Kochi office for interrogation in connection with the alleged Karuvannur Service Cooperative Bank scam on Monday.
Earlier, Mr. Moideen had sought time to appear before the agency which had sought his presence on August 31. However, sources close to Mr. Moideen said he had not received any fresh notice from the agency. Repeated calls to Mr. Moideen’s mobile phone to verify the development went unanswered.
After carrying out searches at the houses of individuals associated with the alleged scam, including that of the CPI (M) leader, the ED issued a press release last week indicating the alleged role of Mr. Moideen in issuing the loans which eventually turned bad.
It noted that benani loans were granted by Karuvannur Service Cooperative Bank, Thrissur, on the instructions of Mr. Moideen. The residences of P.P. Kiran, C.M. Rahim, M.K. Shiju, and P. Satheeshkumar, who are alleged to have some connections with the scam, were also raided by the ED. It had frozen the bank accounts and some fixed deposits in the bank in the name of Mr. Moideen and his wife following the raid.
The investigation agency had questioned some persons who were allegedly involved in the financial misappropriation for the second day on Thursday.
An evaluation carried out by the State Cooperative department had estimated that around ₹150 crore was reportedly syphoned off.
Incidentally, the CPI(M) had organised a protest meeting in Thrissur the other day in support of Mr. Moideen. The party had alleged that the investigation agency was trying to falsely implicate its leader in the scam.
