Ex-SEC Chief further remanded till 23 Dec

The Colombo Fort Magistrate yesterday extended the remand of former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Dr. Nalaka Godahewa and two others till 23 December.

Colombo Fort Magistrate Priyantha Liyanage rejected bail pleas of the three defendants accused of financial fraud at the SEC.

The defense counsel told court that there were no substantial facts in the case to keep them remanded but the judge refused to grant bail.

Dr. Godahewa was arrested by the Financial Crime Investigation Division of police on 7 December when he arrived at the FCID to make a statement. The Fort Magistrate remanded him till 14 December.

The former SEC Chairman was summoned to the FCID to record a statement regarding a Rs. 5 million ‘grant’ allegedly given by the regulator for the Tharunyata Hetak Fund headed by the former President’s son, MP Namal Rajapaksa two years ago.

The police on 4 December arrested two senior officials of the SEC – former Deputy Director General of the SEC Dhammika Perera and Ronny Ibrahim over the fraud alleged to have taken place in 2013.