CID bares large scale land fraud

Charumini de Silva

A large scale land fraud was bared by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) yesterday. According to this detection, a private company named Bar Reef Resort (formerly known as Alankuda Beach Resort) had forwarded and produced forged deeds for a land belonging to the government.

A Shiraj Silva had bought a 25 acre land in Alankuda, Kalpitiya for Rs 58 million from Bar Reef Resort. He had gone to see the land but one of the directors of the company had obstructed his visit claiming that the land belonged to their company.

The victim had then complained to the CID. The CID conducted investigations and found that the suspect company had forwarded forged deeds and had sold land to foreigners to build hotels in the area.

The land consists of 747 acres. Six persons have bought 165 acres out of it and the deed for this transaction signed by the Notary of Bar Reef Resort was produced in court.

After submissions were made by the Police, Colombo Fort Magistrate and Additional District Judge Lanka Jayaratne released the Bar Reef Resort Director Dulas Martins who appeared on behalf of the company on bail.

The suspect was granted bail in sum of Rs 20,000 and a bond of Rs 25,000 surety.