CID files case against Ravi

By Manopriya Gunasekara

The Criminal Investigations Division (CID) yesterday filed a case against former Finance Minister MP Ravi Karunanayake at the Colombo Magistrate’s Court for giving false evidence to the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Central Bank bond scam. 

The CID giving statements before Court said that MP Karunanayake had intentionally given false evidence while under oath, which was punishable under Sections 188 and 190 of the Penal Code. 

The Colombo Magistrate ordered the CID to obtain statements from six individuals connected with the case including MP Karunanayake, Mela Karunanayake (wife), Onela Karunanayake (daughter), Global Transportation and Logistics Chief Accountant B.J.R. Sinnaiyya, Perpetual Treasuries Chief Arjun Aloysius and Bond Commission Secretary Attorney-at-Law Sumathipala Udugamsuriya. 

The Magistrate ordered the Chief Executive Officers of Dialog Axiata and Mobitel to hand over all documents and details regarding phone calls of nine individuals including MP Karunanayake from the time period between 1 January 2015 and 2 August 2017. 

The nine individuals named were MP Karunanayake, Mela Karunanayake, Onela Karunanayake, Vijith Wijesuriya, Neil De Silva, Ruwan Gallage, Sanath Bandara, Anika Wijesuriya and B.J.R. Sinnaiyya. In addition, the Magistrate ordered that details of any mobile connection listed under their names, business or home addresses also be given to the CID. 

The Court also ordered the Registrar of Global Transportations and Logistics to submit all cash books, vouchers, bank statements for the time period between 1 January 2105 and 2 August 2017.

Furthermore, Form 48 and other details of the Directors of Global Transportation and Logistics along with decisions and proposals of the Director Board, Director Board papers and inventories of the Board of Directors were also ordered to be handed over to the CID. 

The Magistrate also ordered that details of any transactions between Walt & Roe, MP Karunanayake or his family members and Global Transportations and Logistics be submitted to the CID in a comprehensive report compiled and certified as being authentic by the Chief Accountants and Auditors of the two companies. 

The CID informed Court that it had uncovered that the testimonial given by MP Karunanayake to the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCOI) into the bond scam on 2 August 2017 had been false evidence. 

This was uncovered when the CID investigated the 25 recommendations of the report of the PCOI on 24 January this year. 

The CID went on to inform the Court that the Attorney General had advised that if it was found that Kasun Palisena, Steve Samuel, Ravi Karunanayake and B.J.R. Sinnaiyya had given false evidence before the PCOI, then the CID should commence a criminal investigation in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act. 

The CID had obtained statements from 30 individuals during their investigations into whether MP Karunanayake had given false testimonials to the PCOI. 

Accordingly, the CID had uncovered that MP Karunanayake had made false statements when the latter had claimed not to know Arjun Aloysius in a professional, official or personal manner. 

Karunanayake had also lied and stated that he did not know Neil De Silva. The MP had also lied when questioned as to whether he had sought advice from Vijith Wijesuriya regarding a house for rent. 

MP Karunanayake had also made false statements when answering the question as to whether he had known that Arjun Aloysius had paid for the apartment that Karunanayake and family occupied briefly. 

He had also lied by claiming that a company owned by him had paid the company that had paid for the rent of the Monarch appointment. No such payment had been made. 

The Magistrate then ordered that a thorough investigation be conducted and report presented to court on 28 September.