Hora  Police and the Sakvithi scam

By Dilrukshi Handunnetti and Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema

The role of top cops in the Sakvithi scam has opened a can of worms in the Police Department compelling the CID to take over the investigation.

A top police investigator following up on the dubious deals of Sakvithi Ranasinghe and his associates that led to a massive fraud of over hundreds of millions of rupees has castigated the Mirihana Police and the Nugegoda Division, and called for the transfer of the investigation into the hands of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) as the police investigations cannot be relied upon anymore given the loss of public trust in the process.

The top police officer, DIG Western Province (South) Chandana Wickramaratne has made this request when submitting a confidential report to DIG Colombo, Nimal Mediwake on October 5 calling for a CID investigation (See Box) where he has aired serious concerns about the impartiality and credibility of the Mirihana Police and giving details of the possible level of involvement by the said police station in the scam itself.

For his trouble subtle moves are now underway to transfer the DIG to Police Headquarters and replace him with another whose own name has transpired in the investigations as having invested with Sakvithi though no person dared  to mention the name on the record for the purpose of recording a statement.

Confidential report

The confidential report comes at a time when not just investors but the members of the public too have been questioning the conduct of the Mirihana Police Station, given the number of police officers involved in the scam, which in their perception has retarded and slowed down the process of investigations.

Some investors who spoke to The Sunday Leader openly challenged the police to conduct investigations and to make the findings known, alleging such a thing would never be done, and there would be no justice for the swindled innocents.

They also claimed that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) should take strong decisions with regard to the named police officers numbering 24 so far for willful violation of duty and for being party to a grand scam.

In the meantime, the confidential report has been able to shed some light on the involvement of the police which indicates not just a sad state of affairs but also the important question of from where the aggrieved public could seek redress if the police too are hand in glove with the criminal elements.

Public has lost confidence

As such, DIG Western Province (South) has clearly stated that the public has lost confidence in the Mirihana Police and the Nugegoda Division and that he had received reports that the police officers conducting the investigation and the suspects in custody are under great pressure and some of the suspects who earlier cooperated well with the investigation have now reversed their position and were no longer coordinating with the investigation.

The top police officer has pointed a finger at the police further when he  attributed the loss of public confidence in the police due to the conduct of some police officers of the Nugegoda Division and warned that if the situation continued, it would bring great disrepute to the police in general.

It is in this backdrop that the senior police officer has requested the CID to take over the investigations and that too, in order to ensure the holding of a free and fair inquiry into the matter.

As the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) is being called upon to take over an investigation tainted with charges of lethargy and secrecy when the local police conducted investigations, Mirihana Police maintains that the station has done its best to apprehend the culprits without fear or favour.

Over 1870 complaints

Meanwhile, Mirihana Police has recorded 1870 complaints so far with regard to the fraud running over Rs. 4.5 billion.

Meanwhile, DIG Western Province (South) has also directed the Head of the Fraud Investigations Unit - Mirihana, Chief Police Inspector Liyanage to record statements from the suspects about the police and army officers who have deposited money in this institution.

The number of complaints made by police officers who have deposited money in Sakvithi's dubious enterprises so far stands at 24. It is believed that some are unwilling to come out, in case they too get implicated in the scam as some have.

The confidential report submitted to DIG CID, Nimal Mediwake interestingly notes:

"While information has been received that there are many more police officers who have deposited money and that they are yet to make any complaint on it, there is also information to prove that police officers from various ranks attached to the Nugegoda Division are also included in it."

By now it has transpired that Sakvithi Ranasinghe who operated a dubious group of companies under the name of "Sakvithi Group of Companies" has maintained close links with about 25 officers from different ranks from the Mirihana Police Station and the Nugegoda Division.

Crate of whisky for Christmas

One officer, investigations revealed, was given a crate of whisky for Christmas by Sakvithi no less.

In support of this, information has been gathered that the wheeler dealing English tuition master turned businessman has during the last Sinhala New Year, sent some 25 bottles of Johnnie Walker Black Label Whisky to the Mirihana Police through one of his managers, named Nalaka Thushara Karunathileka as seasonal gifts to lift the seasonal spirit.

According to impeccable sources, it has now been revealed that the Mirihana Police was aware of the financial crisis faced by the Sakvithi Group of Companies at least three to four months before the storm blew over but did not discharge their legal duty in this regard, possibly due to being richly rewarded by the disreputable businessman.

There is credible information to believe that when depositors had come to lodge complaints with the Fraud Investigations Unit and the Crimes Division in Mirihana regarding the difficulties faced in getting back their capital or the interest payments, the complaints had not been recorded. Instead, the police officers have been either eagerly firing telephone calls to Sakvithi Ranasinghe himself or his acolytes asking them to resolve the matter, The Sunday Leader learns.

Interrogation of several suspects

Following the interrogation of several suspects currently in custody one Deshabandu Tennekoon had deposited a sum of Rs. 1.2 million and whether he was a police officer or not is yet to be ascertained. However, it is now believed that this was the man who headed the Nugegoda Division of the police. Tennekoon of course vehemently denies depositing any money with Sakvithi.

Besides, the police are also investigating into the involvement of one Inspector of Police, Pushpakumara attached to the 119 Division of Mirihana Police with regard to his connections to Sakvithi Ranasinghe's dubious deals.

It has been alleged that Pushpakumara was a close confidant of Sakvithi Ranasinghe and had also joined him on several of the latter's gambling jaunts which are believed to have been too many.

Further, it has been revealed that Pushpakumara had also deposited money with the fraudster, as Pushpakumara's wife too had lodged a complaint in this regard with the police. What was perhaps unknown to her was that Pushpakumara was not just a victim in this instance but also a kingpin in the entire Sakvithi scam.

The police in their initial investigations have also found that Sakvithi Ranasinghe had taken on lease an acre of land from the Paradise Estate belonging to the Sri Lanka Gem Corporation in Kuruwita, Ratnapura under Pushpakumara's name for a period of one year. A backhoe belonging to the Sakvithi Company had also been allegedly used for gem mining in the land.

Transporting ganja

As if that is not bad enough, Inspector Pushpakumara's name has already transpired on an earlier occasion for his alleged involvement in transporting ganja.

Just like Sakvithi Ranasinghe, IP Pushpakumara too went missing for a while. He was however taken into custody last week, though victimised depositors feel that there would be a cover up to allow the unscrupulous police officer out sooner than later.

In this backdrop, the Crimes Division of the Mirihana Police has received a complaint against Police Inspector Pushpakumara for allegedly ransacking the main building of the Sakvithi Group of Companies and properties belonging to it.

Police Inspector Apelathotuva has been assigned to investigate into the matter and has been directed to hold an investigation in this regard.

Interpol assistance

In the meantime, Interpol assistance has been sought for the arrest of the man who is now accused of defrauding over Rs. 4.5 billion from the Sri Lankan public.

Investigators also said that reports have been sought from the Immigration and Emigration Department.

The Department has been issued with a court directive requiring them to arrest the two main suspects upon their return to the island and the court order has now been issued to the Immigration and Emigration Department and also to prevent the other suspects currently in police custody and those still to be arrested from escaping the legal net.

A senior officer from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) confirmed, that Interpol has been formally requested to help carry out the arrest of the two main suspects, presumably still in Thailand.

At the same time, the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) too has been asked to provide the necessary information to aid further investigations and to support Interpol.

 Directives have also been issued to obtain a court order to trace and take into police custody and present to court vehicles, lands, buildings and other related properties that have been purchased using monies deposited by investors or else to get an enjoining order preventing the sale or divesting of such properties by court.