The Central government has sought documents relating to the receipt of aid from the UAE Red Crescent for the construction of 140 dwellings for landless and homeless families under the LIFE Mission scheme at Wadakkanchery in Thrissur.
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The ‘unusual’ demand reportedly set off a flurry of activity in Secretariat on Thursday, with the government seeking the files relating to the deal from LIFE Mission urgently.
The request also triggered rumours that the move might be the precursor to an anti-corruption or international money laundering inquiry by a Central agency.
The government’s ambitious project to provide housing to the needy had come under a cloud after Swapna Suresh, the second accused in the UAE consulate-linked gold smuggling case, had reportedly stated in court that the ₹1 crore found by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in her bank locker was her percentage for channelling the UAE Red Crescent aid to a private builder for executing the ₹20 crore housing project in July, 2019.
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Swapna’s statement was purportedly part of her defence against the ED charge that the “unaccounted money” was her share of the spoils from the illegal import of gold in air cargo consignments addressed to the UAE consulate here during the 2019-20 period.
A news channel supportive of the CPI(M) claimed on Wednesday that the executor the LIFE Mission project, a private builder, had paid ₹4.3 crore in bribe to a UAE consulate official to bag the construction contract.
On the defence
The revelations had, arguably, put the State government on the defence. The Congress said corrupt bureaucrats and gold smugglers who controlled the Chief Minister’s Office had used an international charity, LIFE Mission project and homeless families as a pretext to make money on the sly.
A State government official said there were no legal ambiguities the LIFE Mission’s MOU with the UAE Red Crescent. The agreement clearly stated that the international charity, as the aid giver, had the freedom to contract a builder of its choice. LIFE Mission had no say in the matter.
He also revealed that an internal inquiry was on to find out whether there were any procedural or ethical lapses on the part of the administration. The probe would also examine if any entity involved in the deal had defrauded the government. If so, the administration would prosecute the errant officials.