Pyramid scheme : New court order related to OnmaxDT

September 5, 2023 at 12:16 PM

A court order has been issued preventing the sale of assets belonging to a Director of a private firm, OnmaxDT, which was found to be allegedly involved in a pyramid financial fraud of US$ 100 million in Sri Lanka.

OnmaxDT is among 09 entities that were banned by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka in August this year for engaging in pyramid schemes.

According to Lankadeepa, Colombo Chief Magistrate Prasanna Alwis has issued an order preventing the transfer or sale of 20 properties worth over Rs. 620 million belonging to Sampath Sandaruwan, a Director of OnmaxDT. 

The court order has been issued to four land registrars in charge of the Matara, Kalutara, Hambantota, and Kadawatha areas. 

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) had requested the court order after investigations had ascertained that the properties had been obtained using the pyramid scheme. 

The CID revealed that a luxury hotel and several luxury houses were among the 20 properties belonging to Sampath Sandaruwan adding that a luxury hotel and six houses were in Matara, two lands each in Hambantota and Kadawatha, and 10 lands in Kalutara. 

The court was also informed that Sampath Sandaruwa had attempted to transfer the ownership of the properties to his wife and relatives on the same day to conceal his involvement in the Pyramid scheme. 

The CID further stated that several complaints have been received with regard to the Pyramid Scheme conducted by OnmaxDT, adding that investigations have been launched into ten of the complaints.

It has been found that over Rs. 50 million each has been defrauded from two complainants by the fraudsters, the CID added. (NewsWire)