KOCHI: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has named an Assistant Director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Kochi Unit, as the first accused in a high-profile bribery case involving the extortion of money from a businessman in exchange for halting an ED investigation.

On Saturday, the VACB’s Kochi unit arrested Renjith Warrier, a Kochi-based chartered accountant, following the earlier arrest of two other accused. Warrier was taken into custody from his residence on Variyam Road in Kochi.

According to officials, Warrier provided information about the businessman to Wilson, who later posed as a mediator for ED officials and demanded money.

The investigation was launched after a Kottarakara-based businessman, engaged in the export of cashew to African countries, filed a complaint. He had been interrogated by ED Assistant Director Shekar Kumar last year over alleged irregularities in foreign fund transfers.

The ED suspected inflated turnover figures and questioned whether some transactions were unrelated to cashew exports. During the interrogation at the ED’s Kochi office, Shekar Kumar-now named as the first accused-allegedly threatened to arrest the businessman and his other family members.

According to the FIR, the second accused, Wilson, a resident of Thammanam, contacted the businessman soon after the interrogation and demanded Rs two crore to end the ED probe.

In an effort to convince the complainant, Wilson also forwarded a copy of the ED’s summons. Recently, Wilson contacted the complainant again, this time demanding Rs 2 lakh allegedly meant for Shekar Kumar.

The businessman then approached VACB, prompting a preliminary inquiry.

After verifying the allegations, the agency laid a trap and arrested Wilson on Thursday while accepting the bribe.

The third accused, Mukesh Jain alias Murali, Rajasthan native residing in Kochi-was arrested the following day. He had allegedly instructed the businessman to deposit Rs 50,000 into a bank account in Thane, Maharashtra.