Reports about Veena's statement to SFIO are 'false': Minister Riyas

Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala PWD Minister P A Mohammed Riyas on Saturday rejected reports which claimed that his wife Veena T told the SFIO that her now-defunct IT firm never provided any services to mining company CMRL.

Veena, daughter of Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, is facing prosecution in a case registered by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) in connection with an "illegal payment" scandal involving the Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL) as her firm, Exalogic, recieved around Rs 2.7 crore from the mining company.

Riyas said that the reports claiming that she told the SFIO that no services were provided by her firm, were "false".

"It is entirely false. No such statement was given. I have spoken to the person who gave the statement. I have nothing more to say.

"Rest is before the court. As far as the party is concerned, its leadership has indicated it's stand," the minister said.

Reportedly, Veena has also denied the reports that she gave such a statement before the SFIO.

According to news reports, SFIO in its chargesheet in the case has claimed that employees of Exalogic, the IT head of CMRL and Veena stated that no services were provided by her firm.

BJP leader and son of veteran politician P C George, Shone George, who had filed the complaint in connection with the illegal payment scandal, referred to the reports and said that they prove that CPI(M) leaders and Pinarayi Vijayan lied when they said her firm provided services to CMRL.

He said that in the current circumstances, Vijayan no longer has the right to continue as chief minister and he should resign.

According to some earlier reports, the SFIO investigation has uncovered a Rs 182 crore financial fraud within the mining company, in which several others are also accused.

The SFIO investigation reportedly also found that Veena had received Rs 2.7 crore from the private mining company without providing any services, an allegation denied by Vijayan.

The Kerala High Court recently ordered that status quo be maintained for two months in the SFIO case that is pending in a sessions court in Kochi.