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| Monday, 17 May 2004 |
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| Former UNP MP surrenders to Police by Sarath Malalasekera
Former Colombo district UNP MP Lilantha Perera wanted by Police in connection with the alleged possession and sale of aluminium sheets valued over Rs. 2 million imported from India to be distributed free to poor families, surrendered yesterday through his lawyers before the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) Director Senior SP Sarath Lugoda. Perera will be produced before Colombo Additional Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya today after his statement is recorded, the CCD Director said. He is among a number of UNP MPs and Pradeshiya Sabha members under investigation for allegedly fraudulently selling the alluminium roofing sheets to traders. Inspector Nuwan Wedasinghe, OIC, CCD yesterday recorded a lengthy statement from Perera.
Four suspects who allegedly purchased the aluminium sheets, strictly not for sale, from Perera were earlier taken into custody by the CCD and produced before court. S. Pillai Shanmugam, Mohamed Hussain Faroos Jaufer and R. Gnanasekeram were remanded till today while Kariappa Sivakumar was released on bail. CCD investigating the sale and possession of aluminum sheets, also recorded a statement from former Western Province Regional Development UNP Minister M. H. Mohammed. Police is also looking for a close associate of the former UNP MP who allegedly carried out the transaction of selling the roofing sheets to the market, the CCD Director said. In another case, CCD officials arrested two suspects who allegedly misappropriated the roofing sheets. They are Jayantha Bandara and Abdul Mohamed Nazar. Produced before Colombo Additional Magistrate Ranjan Dissanayake, they were granted cash bail in Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 25,000 each with two sureties. Investigations directed by Colombo DIG Sirisena Herath and conducted by CCD Director Senior SP Sarath Lugoda revealed that 7,510 sheets had been recovered from a businessman in Colombo who allegedly purchased the sheets from the former UNP MP.Several hardware stores and warehouses in the Colombo district have been raided by CCD officials to trace the roofing sheets sold to outsiders. CCD officials also had questioned several transport firms in connection with the sale of roofing sheets meant for poor families. CCD Director Senior SP Sarath Lugoda assisted by ASP Palitha Fernando, Inspector Nuwan Wedasinghe and CCD officers are investigating into the roofing sheet racket. |
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