The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has termed the recent allegations of corruption raised against its officials and media reports that the Vigilance Anti-Corruption Bureau had registered an FIR against ED officials and others were attempts to derail its investigation against a suspect in a money laundering case.
Aneesh Babu had alleged that some persons had demanded money for settling a case booked against him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The Vigilance had arrested Wilson Varghese, Mukesh Kumar from Rajasthan, and Kochi-based chartered accountant Renjith Warrier in this connection.
The allegations raised against the ED officials were part of the attempt to trigger a media trial to malign the image of the ED and deflect attention from the ongoing PMLA investigation and the due legal process. The complainant has frequently changed his statements and allegations in the media. The allegations made were contradictory in nature and propagated to prejudice local public opinion, according to ED sources.
Mr. Babu and his parents are suspects/accused in the PMLA case recorded on the basis of five FIRs registered by the Crime Branch and the Kottarakara Police for cheating different people to the tune of ₹24.73 crore by promising to import cashews at low prices from abroad, the agency sources maintained.
The agency has sought the details of the allegations from VACB. If any prima facie case is made out from the allegations, the ED will proceed with the case, the sources said.
Meanwhile, Youth Congress activists took out a protest march to the Kochi office of the agency following allegations of corruption raised against the officials.
Published – May 19, 2025 08:41 pm IST
