Police looking for more VAT scam suspects

Sarath Malalasekera

COLOMBO: The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) probing the massive VAT scam at the Inland Revenue Department, yesterday told the Colombo Fort Magistrate and Additional District Judge Namal Bandara Balalle that they are looking for several more suspects who are alleged to have been involved in the VAT scam.

Judge Balalle refused bail for the seven suspects including a Senior Officer attached to the Inland Revenue Department who were remanded earlier in connection with the VAT scam. They were yesterday further remanded till May 9.

The suspects are Gnanasiri Soysa Jayatilleke, Senior officer attached to the Inland Revenue Department, Colombo businessman Sinnaiah Subramanaiam, Mohamed Hussain, Mohamed Milshan, W. Ambepitiya of the Inland revenue Department and Ashrof Hadjir.

The CID commenced investigations on a complaint by the Inland Revenue Department based on a report submitted to the Inland Revenue Department by the Auditor-General in connection with the criminal misappropriation of Rs.357,72,868 the money accruing from VAT.

The CID told court that they have perused the forged documents forwarded to the Inland Revenue Department to release the VAT funds from the department.

The investigations also revealed that the senior officer of the Inland Revenue Department had authorised the VAT funds to be released to the businessmen without perusing the relevant documents.

The money had been obtained from the Inland Revenue Department on several forged national identity cards. Twenty NICs have been submitted to the Inland Revenue Department but 19 of them were forged, the investigators said.

President’s Counsel M.L.M. Ameen, President’s Counsel Mohan Peiris, Kalinga Indatissa, Shanaka Ranasinghe, K.V. Thavarasa, Nishada Gamage, M. Biswa, Shiraz Noordeen and Prasanna Weerasekera appeared for the suspects.