A 55-year-old man and a 43-year-old woman have been arrested for allegedly defrauding around Rs. 100 million, by claiming to give freehold deeds under the ‘Urumaya’ national programme.
According to the Police, the suspects were arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for financially defrauding 164 business owners in 2024.
The female suspect, a resident of Bakamuna, was arrested on August 26 and remanded, while the male suspect, a resident of Maharagama, was arrested on September 29.
It was revealed during the investigation that the woman had allegedly convinced 164 persons in Kalmunai to provide deeds under the “Urumaya” freehold deed program, and had then taken a sum of Rs. 600,000 from each person, pretending to be a lawyer.
Furthermore, it was revealed that the man had allegedly convinced around 50 businessmen from Kalmunai to come to the Sirikotha Headquarters and prominent hotels in Colombo, to discuss politics and had promised freehold deeds, defrauding them.
The officials have taken legal measures to confiscate Rs. 02 million in the possession of the suspect, which had been fraudulently earned.
The CID is conducting further investigations. (Newswire)
