Fake pilot gets 11 years

Sandasen Marasinghe

Colombo High Court Judge Sunil Rajapakse convicted a person for preparing a forged pilot's log book and obtaining a commercial pilot licence from the Civil Aviation Department in 1995.

Colombo High Court convicted B.S.S. Saman de Fernando of St. Rita's Road, Mount Lavinia and sentenced him to 11 years rigorous imprisonment. The case was heard in absentia and the Court issued a warrant on him. The Court also issued a fine of Rs 25,000 and another one year's RI in default.

According to a statement made by the convict's father, Fernando was living in Australia with his family.

Attorney General filed indictment against Fernando with three charges.

According to the evidence Fernando prepared a forge Pilot's log book with the fake signature of IRT Instructor Samarakoon between December 1, 1994 and December 31, 1994.

Later he produced the same forged document to Shanthi Devi Kothalawala, a clerk of the Civil Aviation Department. According to evidence, Fernando has also cheated Assistant Director of Civil Aviation Jeewandarage Wimalasena and obtained a Commercial Pilot's Licence. The evidence revealed that he had filed the application to obtain the pilot's licence with incorrect flying hours which did not have at the moment.

The Court convicted him for all three counts and observed that the case was proved beyond reasonable doubt.

Senior State Counsel Asad Navavi appeared for the prosecution.