Ceylinco Chief remanded

Warrant on Deputy

SURANJITH Perera Dehiwela-Mt. Lavinia group corr.

Mount Lavinia Magistrate Harsha Setunga yesterday ordered the remand of Ceylinco Group Chairman Lalith Kotelawala until March 11 in connection with the alleged Golden Key Credit Card fraud running into Rs. 26 billion.

The Magistrate also issued an arrest warrant on Deputy Chairman Cecile Kotelawala who is receiving treatment in a Singapore hospital and also instructed the Customs authorities to apprehend the suspect on arrival at the Bandaranaike International Airport.

In addition Nandani Kumari, Private Secretary of the CEO of Golden Key Credit Card Co. Kavan Perera was also remanded by the Magistrate who also further remanded the six suspects already being held in remand till March 11.

They are CEO Kavan Perera, Finance Manager Saumya Karunaratne, and directors Niranjan Fernando, Saradha Sumanasekera, Mahinda Jayalath and M.N. Tuan.

Over 2,000 Golden Key Credit Card depositors were present at the Mount Lavinia Magistrate’s Court yesterday. They broke into applause when the Magistrate ordered the remand of Lalith Kotelawala.

The Deputy Solicitor General told Court that Kotelawala had used the money of the Golden Credit depositors to set up a card company in Australia whilst also diverting part of this money to various welfare funds operated by him.

The Deputy Solicitor General said there is evidence to show that Cecile Kotelawala had used depositors’ money for her foreign trips and that she should be named as a suspect. The Magistrate rejected an appeal for bail made by the suspect’s lawyers and put off hearings for March 31.