Visa racket: Police seeks AG's advice

Sarath MALALASEKERA

The Colombo Crime Division (CCD) probing a visa racket told Colombo Fort Magistrate and Additional District Judge Gihan Pilapitiya that they have forwarded the dossier of the investigations to the Attorney General for his advice.

Earlier, on an application by CCD Inspector Rajapakse, the Judge cancelled bail ordered on the fourth suspect Mustaf Mohamed Faizer.

Inspector Rajapakse told court that the investigators had to record several statements from Immigration and Emigration Department officers in connection with the investigations. The 10 suspects are Amith Dhamikka Jayasekera, S.A. Nihal Jayantha, J. Fernando, Mustafa Mohamed Faizer, Ranga Kumar Wimalasena, K.B.D. Prasanna, Chaminda Jayantha, Lalania Irangaki, Geetha Dharsha and Prasanna Sampath.

They have allegedly prepared forged Marriage Certificates and obtained visas from an Embassy in Colombo for Muslim and Tamil individuals seeking migration to the UK.

"We are also looking for a very senior sportswoman who was allegedly involved in this massive visa racket," CCD Director Senior SP Senanayake said.

The CCD earlier arrested the kingpin in the visa racket and he had been remanded pending completion of investigations.

This key suspect now in custody had been carrying on this racket with the help of leading personalities, CCD officials said.

Investigations also revealed that only the bridegrooms had left the country on the visas obtained on forged documents but not the brides.

Jayantha Dias Nanayakkara and Sanjaya Gamage appeared for some suspects.

Kingsley Hettiarachchi appeared for the complainant.

The case will be called again on December 31.