Mount Lavinia Magistrate Pasan Amarasekara yesterday (26) rejected a request to arrest individuals named in an alleged fraud involving a plot of land and building belonging to the National Workers Institute in Dehiwala, which was reportedly leased using a forged deed for 3.6 million rupees.
President’s Counsel Maithri Gunaratne, appearing for the primary complainant, made the request.
However, the Magistrate rejected the application because the investigation file has already been referred to the Attorney General for advice (on February 19, 2025), and initial inquiries by the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau have not revealed evidence of a criminal offence.
Officials from the Fraud Investigation Bureau informed the court that all statements have been recorded.
They noted that Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe, one of the individuals named in the case, stated that he acted as the lessor in 2020 based on a decision by the Executive Committee of the National Workers Congress trade union.
During the previous hearing, President’s Counsel Gunaratne for the aggrieved party had accused the police of misleading the court and failing to execute clear orders issued on two previous occasions for the arrest of the suspects, instead claiming that the Attorney General’s advice was necessary.
He also argued that Wasantha Samarasinghe did not have the authority to lease the land when the institution’s legal officers were present.
The case has been fixed for a further hearing on February 27, 2026.
In previous sittings, Deputy Minister Mahinda Jayasinghe, Kaduwela Mayor Ranjan Jayalal, and Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe provided statements to the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau following an order by the former Mount Lavinia Magistrate.
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