The Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) of the Police will go before the Pugoda Magistrate today to put off the earlier decision of the court to auction the controversial Malwana land.
The court on an earlier occasion decided to auction the land and also published press notices fixing the date for March 29.
It was the public perception that the land in question is alleged to have been owned by former Minister Basil Rajapaksa and businessman Tirukumar Nadesan.
However, both the individuals during the case asserted that they did not own it. A third party also denied any ownership of the land prompting the court to take a decision to sell the land at a public auction after a proper valuation.
The government valuer had accordingly valued the land at Rs 208 million.
When the matter came up for discussion before the Cabinet recently, it was decided to stop the auction and acquire the land for a public purpose or to set up a police training academy. The decision was taken to avoid intimidation by interested parties during the auction and thereafter, and that the land would be taken back in the event of a change of government.
Highly placed government sources said if somebody does not own a land and if there were no legal claimants, such land would be the property of the government, according to the provisions of the Crown Land Act.
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