VAT scam suspects re-remanded

Sarath Malalasekera

COLOMBO: The six suspects in the massive VAT scam at the Inland Revenue Department were further remanded till June 13 by the Colombo Fort Magistrate and Additional District Judge Namal Bandara Balalle.

Earlier, the Criminal Investigation Department probing the VAT scam told court that they are looking for nine more suspects allegedly involved in the VAT scam.

The CID told court that they were making arrangements to obtain Interpol assistance in connection with the suspects who had left the country and now living abroad.

The suspects are Gnanasiri Soysa Jayatilleke, Senior officer attached to the Inland Revenue Department, Colombo businessman Sinnaiah Subramaniam, Mohamed Hussain, Mohamed Milshan and W. Ambepitiya of the Inland Revenue Department and businessman 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 a criminal misappropriation of Rs. 35,772,868 the money accrued from VAT.

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

Investigations also revealed that a senior officer of the Inland Revenue Department had authorised the VAT money to be released to the businessmen without perusing the documents.

The money had been obtained from the Inland Revenue Department on several forged national identity cards.

Twenty NICs had been submitted to the Inland Revenue Department but 19 were forged, 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.