AG files indictments against four for cheating elderly woman

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda

The Attorney General has filed indictments against four accused in Colombo High Court for their alleged involvement in conspiracy to defraud an 85-year-old wealthy woman, the sister of Sri Lanka’s first woman President’s Counsel, to the tune of Rs. 11.5 million.

Accordingly four accused including a young couple namely K. Dinelka M. Fernando and Mahesh Perera along with two other accused Anthony Fernando, Pradeepika Paranayapa were ordered to be appear before Colombo High Court.  

The complainant Sheila Seneviratne in her complaint to the CID said the main accused K. Dinelka M. Fernando had befriended her when she was residing at an elders’ home in Kollupitiya.

She said soon after the accused’s marriage, the newly married couple had requested Seneviratne to live with them in a rented house.

She alleged that she paid the rent from July this year and 39 fixed deposit certificates and several bank account books belonging to her were given to the accused because Seneviratne trusted her.

Under their influence she arranged to buy a block of land for Rs. 2.51 million and a hybrid car for Rs. 3.65 million. The CID alleged that the first accused M. Fernando had deposited Rs. 2 million in her account while her husband Mahesh Perera had deposited Rs. 3 million in his bank account.

The third accused Mohan Fernando a resident of Pita Kotte had been identified as the father of the main accused.

President’s Counsel Maureen Seneviratne who became the first woman to be appointed President’s Counsel is the sister of Sheila Seneviratne.