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| Sunday, 03 August 2003 |
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Local businessman in multimillion dollar fraud by JAYAMPATHY JAYASINGHE The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is investigating a reputed local bank to ascertain whether they have connived with a local millionaire businessman who had drawn a sum of US $ 7 million by fraudulent means. The money was remitted from a foreign bank recently. "It's one of the biggest frauds committed in Sri Lanka so far by a local businessman who is evading arrest. Some of the employees of his company involved in the racket have also gone into hiding. We have already arrested the accountant of the firm who was remanded by courts recently " CID sources said. The local businessman who has had links with a reputed International company based in Venezuela is alleged to have forged the signatures of the Chairman and the Managing Director of that company to draw US $ 7 million which was remitted to the local bank from a bank in Germany. The local company has exported only 700 kg of Vanilla products so far to Venezuela, sources said. Meanwhile, a special CID team has been detailed by DIG (CID) Lionel Gunatilleke and SSP. Nimal Kulatunga to arrest the multi millionaire businessman and his accomplices who have gone into hiding. "We have got a court order and have alerted the Immigration and Emigration officials at the Bandaranaike International Airport to prevent them from leaving the country. The Interpol too have been alerted to probe into the foreign connection " sources said. The racket was exposed when the Exchange Control Department had informed the local bank to check the authenticity of the documents submitted by the businessman, but by then cash had already been released. The team of CID sleuths who searched the suspects, company at Orugodawatte, Wellampitiya has recovered several vital documents pertaining to the fraud. Several foreign telephone calls the suspect had made to a Venezuelan company and the German bank have been traced, sources said. The Attorney General's Department advice has been sought in view of the nature of the massive fraud. |
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