CID directed to arrest former minister over alleged misuse of Rs. 7.8 million in Tourism Promotion Bureau funds
By The Pulseline News Desk
The Fort Magistrate’s Court today (14) ordered authorities to take steps to obtain an INTERPOL Red Notice against former Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa over the alleged misuse of Rs. 7.8 million belonging to the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB).
Fort Magistrate Pasan Amarasena issued the order following submissions by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) concerning the ongoing investigation into the alleged misappropriation of public funds.
The Magistrate directed that a warrant be issued in both Sinhala and English to facilitate the process of obtaining the Red Notice through INTERPOL.
The court also ordered the CID’s Illegal Assets Unit to arrest Basil and produce him before court.
The orders mark a further development in the investigation into allegations that funds allocated for tourism promotion were diverted for political purposes during the 2014 Uva Provincial Council election campaign.
Alleged diversion of tourism funds
The investigation centres on Rs. 7.8 million allocated to the SLTPB in 2014, which was allegedly misused to provide 12,000 T-shirts for the Uva Provincial Council election instead of being spent on the Bureau’s promotional activities.
The CID’s Illegal Assets Unit had previously presented facts to court, alleging that the diversion of the funds had caused a financial loss to the Government.
The latest orders followed further submissions by investigators regarding the progress of the case and the steps required to pursue Basil in connection with the allegations.
International search measures
An INTERPOL Red Notice is a request to law enforcement authorities worldwide to locate a person sought by a country for prosecution or to serve a sentence, with a view to potential provisional arrest pending extradition or other legal action.
It is not an international arrest warrant, and the decision to arrest a person rests with the authorities in the country where that person is located, subject to applicable domestic laws.
The court’s direction to issue the warrant in both Sinhala and English is intended to facilitate the process of seeking international assistance through INTERPOL.
Further developments will depend on the steps taken by the CID and the relevant authorities following the court’s orders.
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