T. Veena rejects media reports about her SFIO statement

IT entrepreneur and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter, T. Veena, has rebutted media reports that alleged she had admitted to the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFI) that her company, Exalogic Solutions, had received a significant retaining fee and consultant charge from the CMRL, a private mining firm without providing any tangible software service. 

In a statement issued on Saturday, Ms Veena stated that she had deposed before the SFIO.

However, Ms Veena said she had not testified, as some sections of the media alleged. Ms Veena termed the media reports inaccurate. 

Speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, Tourism Minister Muhammad Riyaz termed the news false.

He said Ms Veena had submitted a signed statement to the SFIO presenting her side of the case.  “She had made no admission as suggested by the media”, he said. 

Mr Riyaz said some sections of the media published insinuations made by some political leaders as news. “Given that yardstick, any journalist can link any person to any alleged financial fraud, irrespective of geographical boundaries. The media is free to suggest that an individual in Kerala is linked to the corruption charges against the President of Brazil or Korea”, he added. 

Mr Riyas said the matter was under judicial consideration. “Let the legal process conclude. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] has made its stance clear in the matter”, he added. 

The CPI(M) and Mr Vijayan have maintained, separately, that Ms Veena’s now-defunct IT consultancy had entered into a legitimate agreement with the CMRL to provide software expertise. The financial sanctions between the companies were above board, via nationalised banks and tax paid. 

The CPI(M) had termed the charges against Ms Veena one-sided and politically motivated.