KOCHI, May 18: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has named an Assistant Director of the Enforcement Directorate, Kochi Unit, as the first accused in a high-profile bribery case involving the extortion of money from a businessman in exchange for halting an ED investigation.
However, VACB's Kochi unit arrested Renjith Warrier, a Kochi-based chartered accountant, following the earlier arrest of two other accused.
Warrier provided information about the businessman to Wilson, who later posed as a mediator for ED officials and demanded money.
The investigation was launched after a Kottarakara-based businessman, engaged in the export of cashew to African countries, filed a complaint.
He had been interrogated by ED Assistant Director Kumar last year over alleged irregularities in foreign fund transfers but during the interrogation Kumar-now named as the first accused-allegedly threatened to arrest the businessman and his other family members.
After verifying the allegations, the agency laid a trap and arrested Wilson while accepting the bribe. The third accused Mr Jain was arrested the following day.
Meanwhile, the ED has initiated an internal inquiry into the allegations. Officials said appropriate disciplinary action would be considered based on the outcome of that probe.
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