HC CALLS FOR A REPORT OVER RED NOTICE ON SICILLE

The Colombo High Court yesterday issued an order to the OIC of CID Interpol Unit to file a report regarding the progress of the red notice previously issued for the arrest of Sicille Kotelawala, wife of Former Ceylinco Chairman Lalith Kotelawala.

High Court Judge Devika de Livera Tennakoon made this order in connection with the Golden Key case. The OIC was ordered to submit the report in Court on August 12.

Senior State Counsel Dileepa Peiris appearing for the Attorney General informed Court that Court had already issued a red notice via Interpol for the arrest of the sixth accused in the case after she fled the country.

Former Ceylinco Chairman Lalith Kotelawala and the Golden Key Credit Card Company (GKCCC) Board of Directors were indicted in the Colombo High Court on charges of criminal misappropriation and criminal breach of trust. The Attorney General had framed charges against Mr. Kotelawala and others under the Penal Code and Finance Companies Act for the offences they had committed from March 1999 to December 2008.

Mr. Kotelawala and the GKCCC Board of Directors were charged with conspiring to misappropriate in connivance with the late Nallanthuwan, one of the suspects in the magisterial inquiry into the alleged misappropriation of deposits worth Rs.26 billion belonging to the GKCC. Nallanthuwan died during the magisterial inquiry.

The indictment is connected to the unlawful financial activities of GKCCC. GKCCC Chief Executive Director Khavan Perera and Directors Saradha Sumanasekara, Suramya Karunanayake, Niranjan Fernando, Lalith Kotelawala, Sicille Kotelawala, Punyashantha Ranatunga and an Inland Revenue Department official W. R. Dharmasiri were indicted on 91 charges.Among the charges were the violating of the Finance Companies Act and conspiring and aiding and abetting to do so.