Kozhikode, 19 August (H.S.): The Enforcement Directorate’s investigation into the alleged financial transactions involving CMRL and Exalogic Solutions has widened to former Kerala minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas.

ED teams on Tuesday conducted searches at eight locations in Kozhikode linked to CPM and DYFI leaders and several associates of Riyas. The searches were reportedly based on statements given by T. Veena, a director of Exalogic Solutions and Riyas’s wife, and information contained in a diary seized earlier.

The premises searched included those linked to CPM Kozhikode district secretariat member P. Nikhil, DYFI leader Nandulal, Riyas’s former classmates P.P. Shaijal, Febish Mohammed and Varish Kalathingal, and expatriate businessman Faizaz.

The raids were conducted with Central security personnel and without the assistance of the Kerala Police. Officials collected documents relating to the financial transactions of those under scrutiny and questioned them. The agency is also reportedly considering freezing the assets of some of them.

The investigation centres on a red-covered diary seized during an ED search at Veena’s Thiruvananthapuram residence in May. The diary allegedly contained details of transfers from Exalogic Solutions’ bank account to accounts held by Nikhil, Varish, Shaijal and Faizaz.

During questioning, Veena reportedly told investigators that the recipients were friends of Riyas and that the money had been transferred for election-related purposes.

She is also understood to have told the agency that only Riyas could answer certain questions concerning the transactions.

Investigators believe questioning Riyas is necessary to establish the purpose of the transfers and determine whether they were made on his instructions.

The ED is now examining bank records, assets and business dealings connected to Riyas’s associates to trace the flow of funds and ascertain whether the transactions had any link to the alleged CMRL-Exalogic payment arrangement.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman