The prime accused in the Life Mission bribery case, Swapna Suresh, was questioned for over three hours by the officials of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) on Tuesday at its new office complex at Muttathara, Thiruvananthapuram.
VACB, which began investigating the bribery allegations surrounding the Life Mission project in 2020 had recalled Ms. Suresh for questioning now, as it was preparing to submit the chargesheet in the case.
The Life Mission case had emerged as one of the State’s politically significant corruption investigation and one which was simultaneously investigated by the State VACB, the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The case relates to the kickbacks involved in the awarding of the construction contract for the State government’s housing project under Life Mission at Wadakkanchery in Thrissur, for rehabilitating flood victims.
A UAE-based charitable organisation, Red Crescent, had offered a donation of ₹20 crore towards the housing project, through the UAE Consulate. It was alleged that approximately ₹4.5 crore of this allocation for the housing project was diverted as commissions and kickbacks to middlemen and other influential players, who played a role in bypassing norms and awarding the construction contract to Unitac Builders.
The case had come to light during the investigation into the Kerala gold smuggling case in which M. Sivasankar, who had been the Principal Secretary to the then Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Ms. Suresh, who had then been an employee of the UAE Consulate, were alleged to have played key roles.
According to the VACB, Life Mission excluded another builder to secure the contract for Unitac Builders, “recommended” by Mr. Sivasankar.
‘₹4 crore bribe’
Investigators said UAE Red Crescent deposited an estimated ₹14 crore in the account of the builder. Later, by his own admission in the High Court, Unitac Builders MD. Santhosh Eapen said that he had paid over ₹4 crore as bribe to bag the contract.
Later, Ms. Suresh told the court that the ₹36 lakh found in her bank locker was the brokerage she received from the builder. She was made the second accused as she had allegedly acted as a key intermediary to secure the contract for Unitac Builders and was also a beneficiary in the corruption case.
The CBI and ED too entered the scene following allegations that the case involved not just bribery but violations of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) and money laundering. The ED had attached immovable properties and bank balances, totalling over ₹5 crore, in Ms. Suresh’s name, in connection with the money laundering probe. These cases are active and continuing.
Published – July 14, 2026 07:37 pm IST
