Colombo Chief Magistrate Prasanna Alwis yesterday (19) ordered an American company named ‘Binance.com’, which had invested in OnmaxDT Pvt. Company accused of earning USD 100 million through illegal pyramid schemes, to freeze eight accounts of the company.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) informed the court that according to the Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, this is the first time that a Sri Lankan court has issued an order to an American financial institution.
It was revealed that more than Rs.430 million rupees have been deposited in eight accounts of the American financial company ‘Binance.com’, and accordingly, the CID requested an order to suspend the transactions of those eight accounts for a period of six months from yesterday (19).
Accordingly, the eight suspended accounts are Onmax DT Private Limited (Sri Lanka), Onmax Pty Ltd. Company (Australia), the account established in the name of Sri Lankans Dhananjaya Gayan, Sampath Sandaruwan Lenaduwage, Saranga Randika Jayatissa (two accounts), Vikramapeli Gedera Chandrakanti and Kahadawa Arachchige Athula Indika Sampath.
Earlier, the Magistrate imposed a travel ban on six directors of the Onmax DT, Sampath Sandaruwan, Athula Indika Sampath, Gayashan Abeyratne, Madhuranga Prasanna, Saranga Randika, and Dhananjaya Jayan.
The CID informed the court that statements were recorded from two persons regarding two accounts of Onmax.
The CID also requested the court to issue an order to submit the mobile phones and computers of the two persons to the Computer Emergency Readiness Team to inspect the accounts. Accordingly, the Magistrate issued the order.
On the 28th, orders were issued by the court to freeze 57 bank accounts under the name of the company in Bank of Ceylon, Central Finance, Nations Trust, Seylan Bank and People’s Trust banks.
According to a complaint made by the Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, the facts regarding this incident were reported to the court by the Financial Crimes Investigation Unit of the CID.
The CID informed the court that by registering a company as ‘Onmax DT’ private company and conducting illegal pyramid transactions through that company, more than 100 million US dollars had been transacted in Crypto Currency Wallets.
The CID reported to the court that the owners of the company have committed a punishable offence under Section 83 A (1) of the Banking Act and Section 3 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
(Lankadeepa)
