Kerala CPI-M slams ED, as agency tightens probe into cooperative bank scam

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 22 (IANS) With the Enforcement Directorate (ED) probing the Rs 500 core loan scam attached to cooperative banks in Trissur district, where A.C. Moideen, a top CPI-M legislator and former state minister, is under scanner, the party's state Secretary M.V. Govindan said on Friday that ED has to mend its ways.

“The ED is out to strangle our party using threatening methods of harassing people who are being called for questioning. One of our councillors was manhandled and they wanted him to testify wrong facts against our leaders like Moideen. This is not acceptable, and the cooperative sector will rise against this injustice,” said Govindan.

“The ED officials who are conductng the ongoing probe are form North India and they are engaging in undesirable methods of questioning meant to target our party and our leaders. The ED appears hell bent on destroying the stable cooperative sector in our state,” added Govindan.

The ED has arrested two persons -- P. Satheesh Kumar and P. Kiran -- in connection with the case so far.

Both the Congress and the BJP have accused the CPI(M) and its leadership of being the kingpins in this scam.

Moideen is under the ED radar ever since his house in Thrissur was raided earlier this month. He has already appeared once before the probe agency at its Kochi office.

After being served a notice to appear again, he did not turn up before the ED and with every passing day, while the ED is tightening its probe, the CPI-M has turned jittery, especially Govindan as speculation is that when this scam was brought before the party a few years back, the leadership did not act in the desired manner.