VAT racket: BIA officials told to look out for suspects

Sarath Malalasekera

COLOMBO: The Colombo Fort Magistrate and Additional District Judge Namal Balalle allowed an application by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probing the VAT racket at the Inland Revenue Department and issued orders to the Immigration and Emigration authorities at the Bandaranaike International Airport to prevent several suspects, whose names are mentioned in the report, from leaving the country or to arrest when they arrive in Sri Lanka and hand them over to the CID.

The Judge earlier further remanded the five suspects taken into custody till April 19.

The Judge allowed a CID application to obtain several documents from banks and to record statements of bank officials.

According to the investigation, the amount misappropriated from the Inland Revenue Department under the pretext of VAT refunds runs into over Rs. 357 million.

The five suspects include Gnanasiri Soysa Jayatillake, a former senior officer attached to the Inland Revenue Department VAT Division, Colombo businessman Sinnaiah Subramaniam, Mohamed Hussain Mohamed Milshan, W. Ambepitiya of the Inland Revenue Department and businessman Ashrof Hadjar.

The Court earlier suspended the passport of the businessman who allegedly assisted the former Senior Inland Revenue officer in the VAT scam.