Ker Assembly Speaker's personal staff to appear before customs in dollar smuggling case

So, the Secretary just informed the Customs thateverything should be done in accordance with the Rules ofprocedures of the House, he said.Sreeramakrishnan also said he did not think that thecentral investigating agencies would question him.I am fully confident that there was no lapse from myside.

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 7 (PTI)Kerala Assembly Speaker PSreeramakrishnan's assistant private secretary would appearbefore the Customs officials in Kochi on Friday in connectionwith the dollar smuggling case, assembly sources said.

They said the Customs department served a notice to theofficial, K Ayyappan, at his residential address and he wouldappear before the authorities on Friday morning at Kochi.

Ayyappan was responsible for charting out the speaker'sdaily programmes and travel related matters, they told PTI.

The notice asking Ayyappan to appear for questioning wasdelivered at his residential address hours after the Speakermaintained that his prior permission was required tointerrogate a member of his personal staff.

The central agency had earlier issued summons to Ayyappanat his official address in connection with the probe into thecase related to alleged smuggling of USD 1,90,000 (equivalentto Rs 1.30 crore) by a former finance head of the UAEConsulate here to Muscat in Oman.

The currency matter came to light during the course ofinvestigation into smuggling of gold using diplomaticchannels.

The speaker had come under criticism from the Oppositionfor inaugurating the shop of one of the accused in the goldsmuggling case, Sandeep Nair, months ago.

There were media reports last week that the Customs wouldsoon serve him notice for interrogation in connection with thedollar smuggling case.

Earlier on Thursday, quoting the assembly Rules ofProcedure, the Speaker said his nod was required to take anylegal action against any person within the LegislativeAssembly complex.

Sreeramakrishnan also defended the recent letter sent byAssembly Secretary S V Unnikrishnan Nair to the Customsstating that theSpeaker's consent was required for quizzingsomeone who comes under the Assembly Secretariat.

The Speaker's defence came a day after the media reportedthat the assembly secretary had sent the letter to the Customsafter the agency issued the first notice to Ayyappan to appearfor questioning.

''As per the rules, Speaker's permission was required totake any legal action against any person within theLegislative Assembly complex. Everything is done in the nameof law. So, the Secretary just informed (the Customs) thateverything should be done in accordance with the Rules ofprocedures of the House,'' he said.

Sreeramakrishnan also said he did not think that thecentral investigating agencies would question him.

''I am fully confident that there was no lapse from myside. So I have no anxiety,'' he said, adding that he would endhis political career if it was proved that he had acceptedeven one rupee as bribe from anyone,'' the Speaker added.

However, Leader of the Opposition in the assembly RameshChennithala alleged that the Speaker was misinterpreting theAssembly rules and trying to sabotage the inquiry.

There was an earlier ruling in the Kerala Assemblyitself that no others would get the constitutional protectionenjoyed by the members of the House, he said.

''It is a serious matter that the Speaker and his Officeare trying to obstruct the investigation of a heinous crimesuch as dollar smuggling,'' Chennithala added.