The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) on Monday raided the residence of former Kerala Minister V K Ebrahim Kunju in connection with the alleged corruption in the construction of a flyover in Kochi's Palarivattom.
The vigilance team conducted the raid after submitting a report in the Vigilance court in Muvattupuzha arraigning him as fifth accused in the case of corruption in constructing the flyover during the previous rule of the Congress-led United Democratic Front.
Ibrahim Kunju has been arraigned as the accused based on the basis of statement given by former IAS officer TO Sooraj to the anti-corruption bureau thatit was Kunju as PWD Minister who accorded sanction for releasing an interest-free mobilisation advance of Rs 8.25 crore to the contracting company for building the flyover, sources said.
Sooraj and three others were arrested on August 30 last year by the VACB for alleged corruption in the construction of the flyover.
They were later granted bail by the Kerala High Court.
The fresh move against Kunju came a month after Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan granted permission to prosecute Kunju, who is also Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) MLA in the State Assembly, in the flyover scam.
Ibrahim Kunju was grilled by the sleuths thrice following the Governor's nod to prosecute him.
The flyover was closed for traffic from May 1, 2019 after it started developing cracks within three years of being built.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had ordered a vigilance probe into the construction of the 750-metre-long flyover, which was inaugurated in October 2016.