'Finance' conmen hauled off to court

Sarath MALALASEKERA

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is conducting investigations into the fraud where several suspects are alleged to have swindled Rs 11 million from about 70 persons.

The CID produced two of those suspects including the owner of a Finance Company before Avissawella Magistrate MPM Abeyratne.

The two suspects are Jayasinghe Wickremaraachchi and Jinandari Vilalgoda. On an application by the CID, the Magistrate issued warrant for the arrest of Dilhara Wickramarachchi, wife of the first suspect, who is absconding.

The suspects were operating a Finance company and had collected money from several people as fixed deposits and had not returned the money or paid the interest.

Senior Attorney Upali Senaratne moved Court to grant them bail and asked the period of incarceration to be taken into consideration as an exceptional case. The case had been filed under the Penal Code.

The Court granted bail for the two suspects in Rs 250,000 cash and a bond of Rs 10 million with two sureties each.

The Court directed the suspects to appear before the CID once in two weeks on Sundays between 9 am and 12 noon.

The Court also impounded their passports.

Senior Attorney Upali Senaratne with Lokuralalage Nayomi Niroshika and Ranjith Arachchige appeared for the suspects.