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| Thursday, 21 October 2004 |
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| Abdul Cader forced me to order Kumari to issue Rs. 1m cheque to Gampola Stores, claims SB by Sarath Malalasekera
The Special Investigation Unit probing the alleged Rs. 1 million fraud at the Samurdhi Society Development Fund by former UNP Co-operative Minister Abdul Cader told Colombo Chief Magistrate and Additional District Judge Sarojini Kusala Weerawardena yesterday that they wanted to arrest former Samurdhi Society Development Fund Director General Kumari Navaratne, now in USA, in connection with investigations. Filing a further report in connection with their investigations ASP C.V. Widisinghe of the Special Investigation Unit said they have to record a statement from Navaratne in connection with the issue of the Rs. 1 million cheque to Cader. The report also stated that according to the statement by UNP Parliamentarian S.B. Dissanayake, Cader had requested and forced him to issue a cheque for Rs.1 million in favour of Mahajana Stores, Gampola for purchase of rice. On Cader's request Dissanayake had directed Navaratne to issue a cheque for Rs. 1 million to Abdul Cader, the report added. "I gave directions to Director General Ms. Kumari Navaratne to issue a cheque for Rs. 1 million to Abdul Cader, but she, the Director General, should have perused the documents forwarded by Co-operative Minister Abdul Cader for Rs. 1 million was genuine before issuing the cheque," Dissanayake had told investigators. Before issuing the cheque it was Navaratne's duty to check whether the rice had been distributed among the mosque or not, stated Dissanayake's statement. When the case was taken up yesterday, President's Counsel K.N. Choksy, Senior Counsel for Cader, moving for bail submitted to court that the investigations had been completed and the suspect will not leave the country without the prior permission of the court. President's Counsel K.N. Choksy- My client will never avoid court. He will appear on all hearing days without getting absent. The Judge- That is not an exceptional circumstance to grant bail. It is the prime duty of a suspect or an accused to be present in court on every hearing day. ASP Widisinghe said they have to record Navaratne's statement and therefore investigations are not completely concluded. ASP Widisinghe said they have recorded statements of several Samurdhi Society Development Fund officers including Appuhamy Maparatne, Dammika Sepali Edirisinghe, P. Samarakoon, Amarasiri Soysa, Danasena Hettiarachchi, Priyantha Amarasena, S.K.N.Kusumawathi and Special Investigation Unit Director A.A. Wickremasinghe. After the submissions by President's Counsel Choksy and ASP Widisinghe, the Judge refused an application for bail and re-remanded the suspect till November 3. Cader was remanded in connection with criminal misappropriation of Rs.1 million of Samurdhi funds. According to the 'B' report filed before court by the investigators, the suspect had obtained Rs. 1 million from the Samurdhi Society Development Fund to purchase 690 bags of samba-rice to be distributed among 11 mosques in the Kandy district. ASP C.V. Widisinghe and Inspector Ruwan Gunasekera appeared for the State. President's Counsel K.N. Choksy with M. Iqbal Mohamed, M.I.M. Ishan, A.M. Nazeel instructed by A.I. Munas appeared for Cader. |
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