News

Priyamali & paramour undertook eight luxury foreign trips: CID

Published

11 months ago

October 19, 2022

editor

Thilini Priyamali, the owner of Thico Group, who defrauded billions of rupees from billionaires, had undertaken eight luxury foreign trips with her paramour, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) informed the court yesterday (18).

The CID informed this to the court after producing 26-year-old Dissanayake Mudiyanselage Isuru Shammika Bandara who is the paramour of 40-year-old Thilini Priyamali.

The CID submitted a report to the court and informed that the investigations revealed that Isuru Bandara who had acted as a director of Priyamali’s businesses had converted an amount of Rs. 80 million taken from Priyamali into US Dollars.

The suspect was arrested based on a complaint made by Abdul Hassan Kamal Hassan, who runs a foreign exchange centre at Bristol Street, Colombo, that he had defrauded him of 60,000 US Dollars, 100,000 Australian Dollars and one kilo of gold.

Police said the suspect had introduced Priyamali to Kamal Hassan and that he had also aided and abetted the large-scale fraud allegedly committed by her.

The suspect had recently sold a vehicle for Rs.30 million and police said a significant amount of the allegedly defrauded gold is in the possession of the suspect.

Police said the suspect had maintained a romantic relationship with Thilini Priyamali after getting to know each other through Facebook in 2019 and informed the court that they are conducting a comprehensive investigation regarding the transactions made by the suspect with Priyamali.

Meanwhile, CID said that he has appeared as her husband and she has also introduced him as her husband. It was said that Priyamali has addressed him as “Appachchi”.

The CID officials requested the court to remand the suspect as they are conducting a complex investigation into these frauds.

Accordingly, the Magistrate ordered that the suspect be remanded until today and ordered not to transfer the ‘Rexton’ type Jeep said to be in the possession of this suspect.

The case is scheduled to be taken up again today and Priyamali who is in remand custody will be produced in the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court.

News

Rosewood timber stock rots in Customs for 9 years

Published

2 hours ago

September 27, 2023

editor

Sri Lanka Customs has had to store 3,669 logs of confiscated Rosewood weighing 420 metric tons at a cost of more than Rs.80 million as storage fees, a report issued by the National Audit Office said.

Although these logs were planned to be sold, they have been stored for 9 years due to the delay in obtaining the permit from the Wildlife Conservation Department.

The logs have already been damaged by insects.

These logs were sent from Zanzibar in Tanzania for re-export to Hong Kong via Sri Lanka by declaring them as African solid wood.

The audit report said that due to the delay in issuing the license, these logs have been stored in a Customs yard from 2014 until April 30, 2023.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Board has to pay more than Rs.30 million to the Customs in the form of port development tax and value added tax for a high-powered radioactive element imported on April 23, 2021.

The report said that the overdue tax amount has not been paid to the Customs by January 1, 2023.

This information was revealed by an audit report included in the 2022 annual report of Sri Lanka Customs.

News

Muthuhettigama released on bail

Published

2 hours ago

September 27, 2023

editor

Former Member of Parliament Nishantha Muthuhettigama was released on bail by the Galle Magistrate’s Court today (27).

He was released on two sureties of Rs.5 million each and a cash bail of Rs 50,000. The next court hearing is scheduled to be held on February 02.

The former MP was arrested and remanded on charges of illegally assembling a luxury car.

News

Raids increased to nab train passengers sans tickets!

Published

2 hours ago

September 27, 2023

editor

Sri Lanka Railways has taken steps to increase raids to nab passengers travelling without tickets.

Frequent inspections to nab errant passengers were suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Due to this, people are more inclined to travel by train without tickets and the initial raids will be based on Maradana and Colombo Fort Railway Stations.

Meanwhile, the Railways Station Master’s Association said that nearly Rs.225,000 was collected from 72 passengers who travelled without tickets from the Maradana Railway Station from August upto now.