CID probes misappropriation of euro 145,000 from several bank accounts

The Financial Investigations Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department is probing the misappropriation of a total of euro 145,000 from several bank accounts.

The CID is seeking Court permission to get the details of three accounts at Seylan Bank (Ambalangoda), Nations Trust Bank (Colombo Fort) and Commercial Bank (Bristol Street branch) in this regard.

A complaint in this connection has been lodged by A.G. Strarwicks from Liechtenstein, who has been living in Sri Lanka for the last 22 years.

The complainant has told Police that he owned a hotel in Ambalangoda and sold it in 1997 for Rs. 30 million. His residence visa expired.

However, he wanted to stay on in Sri Lanka after investing the funds from the sale of the hotel.

At this point, one Chinthaka Rodrigo, who acted as a broker for the hotel sale, informed him that the money could be invested in Roton Vander Limited and that a monthly dividend could be paid.

He then transferred euro 200,000 from his account at Nations Trust Bank, Kollupitiya to the Commercial Bank account of Roton Vander.

However, payments due to him stopped after a few months and attempts to contact key figures at Roton Vander failed.

A Rs.500,000 cheque from Roton Vander bounced when he tried to deposit it to his account at Seylan Bank, Ambalangoda.

He went to the High Court to seek redress but while the case was going on, the company folded but he was informed that the same directors has started another company, IJF Global, at the same premises.

The complainant has told Police that the board of directors of Roton Vander had deliberately avoided paying him his dues. The Police have already recorded statements from several persons in this connection.