The Attorney General Thursday filed indictments against top officials of former government in the first case to be heard at the Special High Court established to expedite trials of large-scale crimes and bribery and corruption cases.
Attorney General President’s Counsel Jayantha Jayasuriya filed indictments against former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Chief of Staff Gamini Senarath and three others for illegally investing Rs. 500 million of public funds in Helanco Hotels and Spa. The funds were given by Litro Gas Company to Canwill Holdings Ltd.
Gamini Senarath along with former Executive Director of Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation (SLIC) Piyadasa Kudabalage, Director General of the Samurdhi Development Department Neil Bandara Hapuhinna and Lasantha Bandara had been charged regarding the offences under the Public Property Act, Penal Code and Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The Attorney General had examined the evidence and submitted a report to the Chief Justice Priyasath Depp and the Chief Justice has advises the Attorney General to file charges against the accused.
The Attorney General has presented 92 documents as production items and 63 individuals have been named as witnesses in the case.
The Financial Crime Investigation Division (FCID) of police has conducted the investigations.
Senarath, Kudabalage, and Hapuhinna are founding directors of Sino Lanka Hotels & Spa Private Limited formed in 2011 with the funds from Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation, Litro Gas Lanka and the Employees Provident Fund.
The three accused have formed another company called Canwill Holdings Ltd and with the cabinet approval the three state institutions invested Rs. 18.5 billion in the new company of which the three accused were also directors.
However, they have formed another company called Helanko Hotels & Spa without cabinet approval and transferred Rs. 4 billion from the Canwill Holdings. Helanko Hotels & Spa later launched the Hyatt Regency project in Hambantota at a cost of Rs. 312.2 million without cabinet approval.
