Ven Dambara Amila Thera refused bail

Sarath Malalasekera

Horana Magistrate and Additional District Judge Anushka Seneviratne yesterday refused bail to Ven. Dambara Amila Thera, who had been remanded in connection with several complaints of collecting money with the promise of employment abroad. The monk was placed in remand till January 8, 2010.

The Judge directed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) ASP Mevan Silva, who appeared for the prosecution with Inspector Ranjith Munasinghe and SI Mohamed, to submit a comprehensive report in connection with the complaints made to the CID on the next date to court.

At the outset, ASP Mevan Silva filing a further report in connection with their investigations said that the CID is looking for the driver of Ven. Amila Thera who also had collected money from the complainants promising jobs abroad.

ASP Mevan Silva said the CID had received about 15 complaints against the Thera and his driver. According to the complaints they have collected over Rs. 2.1 million. Objecting to the suspect Ven. Amila Thera being released on bail the CID said that the investigations into the complaints had not been completed.

President’s Counsel M.L.M. Ameen, Senior Counsel for Ven. Amila Thera, said that his client was not involved in any of the alleged transactions. When he (Ven Dambara Amila Thera) came to know that the driver was involved in such transaction he sacked the driver immediately.

In his lengthy submissions President’s Counsel Ameen said that the driver the CID is looking for, had been produced before Court in connection with six cases and granted bail. The CID was not aware about those cases. His client was arrested and produced before Courts on a Sunday without allowing him to obtain the assistance of a lawyer.

The President’s Counsel said that the driver promised to come to court but he had not come. He had been missing on the way to Courts. Not a single documents has been produced to prove that his client had collected money from the complainants.

Moving for bail President’s Counsel Ameen said that they are prepared to furnish cash for the amount mentioned in the ‘B’ Reports. He also said that not a single complaint had been made against his client before December 11.

The CID could conduct investigations into complaints only involving sums of over Rs. 3 million and not for the amount mentioned in the reports before court. When foreign employment are announced by the Government a quota is allocated to Ministers and they appoint agents, the President’s Counsel said.

Replying to Counsel, ASP Mevan Silva said that the CID is not involved in politics and it was not conducting investigations according to politicians or any other persons instructions.

The CID conducts investigations on the directions of the IGP. The IGP could direct them to conducts investigations into a complaint even for a sum of Rs. 10, ASP Silva said.

Attorney W.S. Fernando who appeared for one of the complainants objected to the suspect Ven Amila Nayake Thera being released on bail and said the Horana Police had refused to entertain his client’s complaint and later they made to the CID.

President’s Counsel M.L.M. Ameen with Asoka Weerasooriya, Ms. Manel Gunatilleke, Ms. Kanthi Geekiyana, G.D.P.K. Seneviratne, Gunaratne Wannisinghe, A.S.M. Misbah, Tharanga Vithanage, Ravi Jayawardena and Sunil Watagedera appeared for Ven Amila Thera.