On Thursday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's office (CMO) denied that he had ever feigned ignorance of the gold smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh.
In an arguably unusual move, the CMO released a 2020 news conference video of Mr. Vijayan to bolster its claim.
In the video, Mr. Vijayan is seen taking questions from journalists. When they asked whether he knew Swapna, Mr. Vijayan said: “I know the person only in an official capacity. She had accompanied the UAE Consulate General whenever he called on the Chief Minister. For several years, the person was the executive secretary of the mission. The Consul General has met me several times. The person always accompanied the diplomat.”
