Fort Magistrate Basil Rajapaksa today (17) ordered the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Unlawful Assets Unit to arrest the former Economic Development Minister and produce him before court in connection with the alleged misappropriation of funds belonging to the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau.
The order was issued when the magisterial inquiry into the alleged misappropriation was taken up before court today (17).
President’s Counsel Kalinga Indatissa, appearing on behalf of one of the suspects, informed court that the third suspect in the case had expressed willingness to give a confidential statement under Section 127 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
The CID Unlawful Assets Unit informed court that the incident relates to a loss of 12,000 T-shirts intended for the Uva Provincial Council election campaign, after Rs. 7.8 million allocated to the Tourism Promotion Bureau in 2014 for promotional activities was not properly utilized.
The Magistrate also ordered the release of former Managing Director of the Bureau, Rumi Jaufer, who had been in remand custody over the matter, on two surety bonds of Rs. 1 million each, while imposing a foreign travel ban.
Investigating officers informed court that charges have been filed against the suspects under the Public Property Act.
The Magistrate further inquired from the CID whether the Finance Director mentioned in the B report would also be named as a suspect in the case. CID officers stated that instructions from the Attorney General have not yet been received in this regard.
The Magistrate then stated in open court that the third suspect (the Managing Director) and the Finance Director named in the B report had signed the first and third vouchers related to the incident. However, since the Finance Director has not yet been arrested, bail was granted to the third suspect.
Accordingly, the third suspect in the case, Managing Director Rumi Jaufer, was released on bail.
The case is scheduled to be taken up again on October 14.
Separately, on the previous hearing date (10), court had also ordered the release of the second suspect, former Chairman of the Bureau Bhashwara Gunawardena, on two surety bonds of Rs. 1 million each.
