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| Tuesday, 2 March 2004 |
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by Sarath Malalasekera The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) uncovered a big racket involving overseas telephone calls following the arrest of three unauthorised Telecommunication Centre owners from Gampola, Kandy, Katugastota and Negombo. These Centres are alleged to have given overseas calls to customers bypassing the Sri Lanka Telecom network. The three suspects, unauthorised Telecommunication Centre owners, who were later produced by the CID officials before the Colombo Chief Magistrate and Additional District Judge Sarojini Kusala Weerawardena were imposed a fine of Rs.47,500. The Judge also directed the CID to destroy the equipment used to obtain international calls illegally. The centres operating under the guise of communication centres were raided by a special CID team headed by Detective Senior SP Nimal Kulatunga during the weekend. They also recovered million rupees worth of equipment used in the racket. The CID conducted the raids on these unauthorised communication cnetres assisted by the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission's (TRC) Techinical Unit. Investigations directed by CID DIG Lionel Gunatilleke assisted by Director CID Senior SP Sisira Mendis revealed that the communication centres had bypassed the Sri Lanka Telecom Network and had made overseas calls costing much less than the original unit charges, denying Sri Lanka Telecom revenue running into several billions of rupees. Owing to lack of stringant Legislation to combat these illegal rackets, unscrupulous businessmen were making massive profits by selling such centres. The illegal telecommunication centres had been operated without being detected by the Revenue Auhtorities, Senior SP Kulatunga said. Investigations also revealed that these 'Grey Operators' had made colossal sums of money by using illegal methods to obtain international telephone calls. The Telecom Regulatory Commission, headed by its sceretary is closely studing to take appropriate action to revise laws to enhanced punishment under the Sri Lanka Telecom Act up to a fine of Rs 10 million and a jail term and the other provisions with the right of power to the Police and to the TRC to conduct investigations under the Act. |
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