The Colombo Magistrate’s Court has rejected a request by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to impose overseas travel bans on racing driver Dilantha Malagamuwa and three others over an alleged land fraud involving forged deeds.
Colombo Additional Magistrate Lahiru Silva instead directed the CID to take steps to name the four individuals as suspects in the investigation before seeking travel restrictions against them.
The CID told court that the four were being investigated over an alleged large-scale scheme involving the preparation of forged deeds and the unlawful acquisition and sale of land in Colombo and other areas. Investigators said their departure from the country could hamper the ongoing inquiry.
The other three individuals named in the request were Shantha Vithana Gamage, Desmond Amarasinghe and Saman Jayaweera.
The investigation relates to the alleged sale of a 43-perch property on Barnes Place, Colombo 7, valued at more than Rs. 2.5 billion, for Rs. 1 billion to a well-known vehicle sales company.
An 80-year-old resident of Pannipitiya, Ariyapala Dissanayake, who was arrested in connection with the case, is currently in remand custody.
CID officers told court that preliminary investigations had revealed that three of the four individuals had allegedly shared money received from the sale, while Malagamuwa had allegedly received 14 luxury vehicles instead of cash.
The CID said further investigations are being conducted into the individuals who allegedly received the money and the acquisition of the vehicles.
The magistrate also ordered the prison authorities to submit a medical report on Dissanayake, who is reportedly in poor health.
(Newswire)