Basil re-remanded

by Shanika Edirisinghe- 2015-05-06

Kaduwela Magistrate, Additional District Judge Dhammika Hemapala yesterday ordered to re-remand former Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa until 7 May.
Police are conducting investigations into the allegation that Basil Rohana ...

...Rajapaksa had committed a fraud amounting to millions of rupees when implementing the compensation and gratuity programme of the Divi Neguma Development Department of the Ministry of Economic Development, along with three others.
The other three persons remanded included former Secretary to the Ministry of Economic Development Dr. Nihal Jayatilleke, former Director General of Divi Neguma Department Ranawaka Arachchilage Amitha Kithsiri Ranawaka and Director of the Divi Neguma Community Bank Bandula Thilakasiri.

Investigations were initiated following a complaint made to the Financial Crime Investigation Department by Director General of the Divi Neguma Department,
H. Sumanapala.

The suspects are accused of a financial irregularity in paying compensations and gratuity of the Divi Neguma Development Department, an irregularity in the housing project on behalf of Samurdhi beneficiaries as well as in printing five million almanacs instead of 1.5 million.
Lawyer Anil de Silva told Court that his client Basil Rajapaksa is suffering from a severe heart problem. As doctors have prohibited Rajapaksa from climbing stairs, Silva requested the Court to allow his client to remain in an ambulance in the court premises.

Silva also requested the Court to release the suspects on bail as they had been in remand for over two weeks.
The lawyers said the suspects only attempted to eradicate poverty in the country.
Attorney-at-Law U.R. Silva presenting court records on previous cases said that everyone including the FCID was being pressured to keep the defendants in remand prison as they are being manipulated by an outside force.

The Magistrate rejected the lawyer's request to send Basil Rajapaksa back to the Merchant Ward of the Colombo National Hospital and Nihal Jayatilleke as well as Ranawaka to the Cardiology Unit and Thilakasiri to Ward No. 76. The Magistrate ordered that all suspects be examined by a doctor. He also ordered that all reports should be submitted to Court on 7 May and that medical reports should be handed over to the FCID.