Land case against Minister Wasantha summoned before court

2025-02-22 1257

The Mount Lavinia Magistrate Friday (21) ordered the filing of written submissions on behalf of the aggrieved party in connection with an alleged fraud involving the forging of a deed of land with a two-storey building owned by the National Works Institute and leasing it for Rs. 3.6 million. Accordingly, written submissions are scheduled to be filed on behalf of the aggrieved party on March 7th.

Although the court had clearly ordered the arrest of the suspects in this case on two occasions after the filing of the relevant case, the police had misled the court by not implementing those orders and stating that the Attorney General's advice was needed, the panel of lawyers including President's Counsel Maithri Gunaratne, who appeared on behalf of the aggrieved party, had submitted evidence before the court.

According to the B report filed with the court, although Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe gave a statement to the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau and stated that he was appointed as the President of the National Workers Congress Trade Union on September 3, 2017, the report provided by the Labor Department states that the same board of officers including Mayura Dharmawardena, who was the President in 2017, will remain in office until 2024.

It appears that the relevant property was leased on February 10, 2020, under the signatures of Herath Mudiyanselage Wasantha Samarasinghe and Rankothgedara Cyril Anandasiri, who were the President and Vice-President of the National Workers Congress Trade Union.

Accordingly, President's Counsel Maithri Gunaratne, appearing for the aggrieved party, further stated that the police have the ability to arrest the suspects. When the Magistrate inquired from the officers of the Fraud Investigation Bureau whether sufficient evidence had been received to arrest the suspect, they stated that no evidence had been uncovered in this regard so far.

Submitting a further report to the court, the officers of the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau stated that since there is currently a case pending in the Kaduwela District Court regarding the custody of the property in question, they have taken steps to obtain legal advice as it is not possible to uncover a criminal offense based on that case and the problematic situation regarding the custody of the property. The case is scheduled to be recalled on March 7th.