Suspect charged for Rs. 243 m workers’ remittances fraud

The Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court was this week informed by the Financial Crime Investigation Division (FCID) of the Criminal Investigation Department that the investigations into the case filed against Delma money exchange centre Abu Dhabi former operations manager Ponweera Arachchi Iresha Wickramasinghe, for allegedly fraudulently remitting Rs. 243,193,250.08 (AED 5,813,766.00) from the monthly remittances of Sri Lankan workers working in the Middle East to their families to five bank accounts of his wife and relatives, had concluded.

The suspect, who worked as the operations manager of Delma Exchange from 2010 to 2017, was arrested and presented to the court.

The FCID stated that the suspect had come to Sri Lanka when the Sri Lankans complained to the Abu Dhabi money exchange centre in the United Arab Emirates and revealed the fraud and investigation had commenced following a complaint lodged by the Delma Company.

A further investigation report was also presented before Maligakanda Magistrate Lochana Weerasinghe.

Presenting the suspect to the court, Financial Crime Division Police Inspector Niroshan presented the facts and said that the suspect residing in Mugangandaluwa, Ilippadeniya in Chilaw and also presented copies of land deeds proving that he had purchased acres of land in Halawatha with the relevant money.

Police Inspector Niroshan informed the court that the suspect was arrested and the investigation was conducted as per the instructions of the Attorney General and the investigation regarding the suspect was concluded.

It has also been mentioned that the fraud has been committed by changing the numbers of the money received by the Delma exchange centre.

The Attorney General intends to file a case before the High Court, as it is revealed that the suspect has committed an offense under the Money Laundering Act No. 5 of 2006 as amended by Act No. 40 of 2011 read with 386 of the Ceylon Penal Code.

The Financial Crimes Division sought from the court to remand the suspect until a case is filled before the High Court against him.

Attorney-at-Law Didula Rajapakse appearing for the suspect told the court that since the suspect’s foreign travel has been banned, bail can be granted under any condition.

Attorney-at-Law Deshan Hewawithana appeared with Attorney-at-Law Dilshan Karunaratne on behalf of the aggrieved party and the complainant of the Abu Dhabi Delma Money Exchange Centre as instructed by Sudath Perera Associates.

Maligakanda Magistrate Lochana Weerasinghe, who considered the facts of both parties, ordered to grant bail under strict conditions as the investigation against the suspect is concluded.

The magistrate ordered the release of the suspect on two sureties of Rs. 15 million each and a travel ban imposed against the accused. The Magistrate who ordered to submit a report to the court along with the relevant papers regarding the properties of the sureties, also ordered to notify the Land Registration Office preventing the transfer of the pledged property to another party.

The Magistrate informed and ordered the FCID to file further matters regarding the investigation in the court on 8 December.