Johnston has not returned state property:Fraud Bureau tells court

Razeena Razick

COLOMBO: The Colombo Fraud Investigations Bureau (CFIB) yesterday reported to the Colombo Chief Magistrate that United National Party Parliamentarian and former Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Johnston Fernando had failed to return State property after vacating office as a Government Minister.

The CFIB also provided a detailed report of the missing property and also damage to the property while they were in the possession of the Minister.

The CFIB informed Court that damages estimated at more than Rs. 550,000 was caused to the vehicles used by the ex-Minister's staff.

Certain office equipment and electronic items at the office of the ex-Minister too is missing, the court was told.

The CFIB investigation follows a complaint made by the Sports and Youth Affairs Ministry Secretary S. Ranugge.

The CFIB informed court that they expect to arrest whoever was responsible for the offence and produce them before court.

Sub Inspector R. M. Ekanayake of the CFIB further informed court that since the former President dissolved Parliament, ex-Minister Johnston Fernando had not returned the property referred to even though four letters were sent requesting that the items of State property be returned.

The matter was also brought to the notice of the Presidential Secretary and the Elections Commissioner. A four-member committee appointed by the Sports Ministry to evaluate the damages caused to each vehicle has reported that the total damages amounted to Rs. 551,225 on the nine vehicles which were returned.

The ex-Minister had returned the Volvo, a Nissan Van and the Land Rover later wherein the damages have not yet been calculated.

The Committee had also calculated the amounts that will have to be incurred to repair the vehicles. They are Rs. 91,430 (Volvo), Jeep used by the ex-Minister's personal secretary (Rs. 77,700), the Minister's back up jeep (Rs. 116,000) and the Prado provided for his personal use (Rs. 124,875).

The CFIB also told court that insurance claims cannot be made in respect of some of the vehicles since no insurance premia had been paid and that these vehicles were repaired at the Ministry's cost. Colombo Additional Magistrate Sujatha Alahapperuma granted permission for the CFIB to conduct a full investigation and file a report.