Kotalawela case:

Court requests support of Banks, mobile companies

Sarath MALALASEKERA

Mount Lavinia Chief Magistrate and Additional District Judge Harsha Sethunga, who is hearing the alleged Golden Key Credit Card fraud, addressing several Bank managers and managers of several mobile telephone companies, who were present in Court told them to assist the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) by providing with all the necessary material, the CID needs, to conduct the investigations without any delay. The Defence Counsel also should be provided all the necessary material and other correct information about the suspects to court and the investigators to complete the investigations, the Judge observed.

The Judge yesterday refused applications for bail in respect of the suspects including the Chairman of Golden Key Credit Card Company who had been remanded in connection with the alleged Golden Key Credit Card fraud and remanded them till July 16. The Judge reserved the order in respect of Chairman Lalith Kotalawela for July 16, as his bail application is pending before the Colombo High Court. The Judge also directed the Prison authorities to produce the suspects on July 2, to extend their remand orders.

Deputy Solicitor General Sarath Jayamanne, who led the prosecuting team assisted by Inspector Rohan Misbula of the CID, vehemently objected to the suspects being released on bail. He said that investigations could be hampered if the suspects were granted bail. Some of the suspects will leave the country before the investigations are completed, we observed.

The Deputy Solicitor General said that the investigators in the presence of Chairman Kotalawela and several others broke opened the door of a room of Mrs. Kotalawela and took into custody several valuable documents. The investigators also had recorded statements of 800 depositors, some of them from the Kandy District.

If any of the suspects, who are now in remand custody, have to collect any document to be produced before the court regarding the case, they could make a request to court and obtain permission from the Court to visit any office with the assistance of Prison officers, DSG Sarath Jayamanne said.

The Deputy Chairman Cecilia Kotalawela was not present in court yesterday. Deputy Solicitor General Jayamanne said that her counsel had not placed any material before court.

The Deputy Solicitor General submitted to court that regarding Mrs. Kotalawela they have contacted the Singapore Interpol for assistance. At the outset Senior Counsel for the Ceylinco Chairman, President's Counsel Reinzie Arasacularatne moving for bail submitted to court to release his client on bail to make arrangements to repay the depositors as early as possible.