FIU freezes bank accounts of Shalika directors

By Zahrah Imtiaz

Bank accounts of the five directors of Shalika Foundation and their middle man Priyankara Jayadeva have been frozen by the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of the Central Bank.

Highly placed CID sources told the Sunday Observer that it was the FIU and not the CID that had frozen these accounts, given the Foundation’s suspected involvement with the Bangladesh bank heist which took place in February. The Foundation had USD 20 million transferred to its own bank account.

In March, Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya barred Gamage Shalika Perera of Dehiwala, Don Prasad Rohitha of Piliyandala, Nishantha Nalaka Walakuluarachchi of Homagama, Sanjeewa Tissa Bandara of Dehiwala and Shirani Dhammika Fernando of Dehiwala from leaving the country.

The CID at the time had informed courts that the Foundation could be probed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The Bangladeshi Police team which was in the country earlier this month had also identified the five directors, Jayadeva and their Japanese partner Sasaki Thadasi as individuals responsible for the heist.

Central Bank Governor, Arjuna Mahendran however observed that they still had to prove intent for the crime, “The money has been returned, so it is quite complicated.

The Foundation has said that they did not know of the heist and that they were expecting the money from elsewhere. We have to prove otherwise,” he said.