Thiruvananthapuram: Former chief secretary Tom Jose had already identified the unhealthy interactions between M Sivasankar and the UAE consulate, it has been found. The hasty decision taken by Sivasankar in accepting donation from the Red Crescent organisation in UAE for the Life Mission project also caused suspicions, as per reports. Following this, the chief secretary had directed the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department to issue a circular restricting the department heads from contacting the consulate.

Life Mission and Red Crescent signed the agreement on July 11, 2019. Sivasankar prepared the contract within one day despite objections from the law department. The intervention of Swapna Suresh, the accused in gold smuggling case, was apparent at many levels of this transaction. The agreement was signed in the presence of the then chief secretary Tom Jose.

The chief secretary handed over a note to the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department to issue a circular on August 7. The circular issued in this regard opens with the statement that it has been noted some of the department heads are having unauthorised interactions with representatives of foreign countries.

The interaction between department heads with embassies, mission, foreign government representatives, foreign companies and consultants are pointed out in the circular. Such interactions are against the interests of the state, the circular issued by K Gopalakrishna Bhatt, the secretary to Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department.

No department head can contact the foreign institutions or their representatives directly or through other officials without the permission of the government. If they have made such contact, it should be reported to the administrative department. The circular also noted that the officials should not communicate or make transaction without prior permission.

Swapna Suresh started the relationship with Sivasankar when she was working in the UAE consulate. The circular of the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department was issued on November 20, 2019. By the time, Sivasankar had appointed Swapna in the Space Park under the government. Since then, she has been working with the government and handling the affairs in the consulate on 'work on request' mode.