Legal action against suspects after Appeal Court hearings, FCID informs Court

Siranjani Kumari-Saturday, March 24, 2018

The FCID conducting investigations against former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and six others over a complaint that the D.A. Rajapaksa Museum and Memorial in Medamulana was built using public funds amounting to Rs.90 million, informed the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court that necessary legal action would be taken against the suspects after the conclusion of Court of Appeal hearings in this regard.

The Court was informed that the Court of Appeal had further extended until March 27 its interim order preventing police from acting against former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa under the Public Property Act regarding the Magistrate’s Court inquiry. The FCID told Colombo Additional Magistrate Chandani Dias that the Attorney General has already given instructions them to take legal action against Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the Chairman and members of the director board of Land Reclamation and Development Corporation (LRDC) under Public Property Act and Penal Code.

The Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) had informed the Colombo Magistrate’s Court that Cabinet approval has not been obtained for the D.A.Rajapaksa Memorial Museum in Weerakatiya, Medamulana. The LRDC told FCID that Cabinet approval had not been obtained and the Corporation has violated financial regulations in payments made for the project. Chairman Harshana de Silva had inspected the premises with engineer Eshana Ranawake and former Speaker Chamal Rajapakse, who had come to inspect construction work.

The BOQ was done on September 13, 2013 on the instructions of LRDC Chairman Harshan de Silva. LRDC legal officers acknowledged the fact that they had not monitored the project properly, since no one responsible from the project came for supervision.

Further magisterial inquiry fixed for July 20.