CID seeks Interpol help to nab VAT scam kingpin

Sarath MALALASEKERA

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probing the massive VAT scam at the Inland Revenue Department has sought Interpol assistance to trace the kingpin of the racket who had left the country when the inquiry into the scam was resumed.

The five suspects in the VAT scam at the Inland Revenue Department were further remanded till November 5 by Colombo Fort Magistrate and Additional District Judge Namal Bandara Balalle.

Two suspects had been granted bail earlier by the Colombo High Court.

The third suspect was discharged from the proceedings and re-remanded till November 5.

Earlier, the CID told court that they have forwarded a dossier of the investigations into the scam to the Attorney General.

The suspects are Gnanasiri Soysa Jayatilleke, senior officer attached to the Inland Revenue Department, Colombo businessmen Sinnaiah Subramanaiam, Mohamed Hussain, Mohamed Milshan and A.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 by the Auditor-General in connection with a criminal misappropriation of over 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 have 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 Ransinghe, K.V. Thavarasa, Nishada Gamage, M. Biswa, Shiraz Noordeen and Prasanna Weerasekera appeared for the suspects.