The Colombo High Court today extended the suspension on 16 fixed deposit accounts and 03 life insurance policies belonging to the family members of former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella. 

The Court extended the suspension until 02 April 2025, following a request by the Bribery Commission (CIABOC).

In June 2024, the Bribery Commission issued an order to freeze the accounts for seven days over suspicious transactions. 

In July, the Bribery Commission took measures to seize the fixed deposit accounts and life insurance policies belonging to the family members of Rambukwella. 

Issuing a statement, the Bribery Commission said the fixed deposit accounts containing a sum of Rs. 93.125 million belonged to the former minister’s wife, three daughters, and one son-in-law. 

Soon after, in September, the Colombo High Court also issued an order preventing the use of two luxury apartments in Colpetty purchased by Ramith Rambukwella, the son of the former Health Minister.

The said two luxury apartments in the Colpetty area have reportedly been purchased by Ramith Rambukwella for Rs. 80 million and Rs. 65 million. 

The measures were initiated at a time when former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella was in remand custody over the purported importation of inferior Immune Globulin vaccines. (Newswire)

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The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has issued a notice on the risks of using personal bank accounts for business operations.

The CBSL warned of the misuse of personal accounts for illegal activities.

The bank advised the public involved in businesses to use separate bank accounts for their business transactions.

“Commingling funds can lead to legal and tax complications, making it difficult to track and manage business finances effectively,” the CBSL added. (NewsWire) 

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The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has uncovered information about a racket where suspects are found to be stealing money donated to the bank accounts of cancer patients.

Colombo Chief Magistrate Prasanna Alwis was informed that a racket was being carried out across the country to fraudulently obtain the money, donated by the people to the bank accounts of cancer patients, from those banks.

The racket was uncovered after a complaint was filed by a cancer patient from the Kaduwela area, who claimed that Rs. 3.8 million that had been donated to his account in a state bank had been fraudulently acquired by unidentified persons. 

Investigations revealed that fraudsters, who respond to requests made online by cancer patients asking for money, have claimed that they will collect financial benefits for those cancer patients and have obtained the bank account numbers, national identity card numbers, and telephone numbers of those patients.

The CID further informed the court that one suspect involved in the financial fraud linked to the Kaduwela cancer patient has been identified and that steps are being taken to apprehend him. (NewsWire)

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The Illegal Assets Investigation Division has freezed two bank accounts at a private bank identified as that of an individual involved in large-scale drug peddling in Sri Lanka. 

According to Ada Derana, the accounts belong to Gunaratne Sujith Silva alias ‘Hikkaduwe Isso Suji’.

The Illegal Assets Investigation Division stated that over Rs. 50 million had been deposited to the accounts.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that money has been deposited into the accounts within a four-month period from April to August 2021. 

The bank account has been traced to that of a  50-year-old individual who is serving a term at the Galle Prison for drug peddling. 

The Illegal Assets Investigation Division stated that the bank accounts were seized after receiving information following interrogations of the suspect in the Galle prison. 

Investigations have revealed that the convicted individual had overlooked the financial and drug dealing operations of ‘Hikkaduwe Isso Suji’. (NewsWire)

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