Accountant, two drivers remanded

Z They have allegedly misused 222 buses belonging to SLTB for transporting IDPS from Puttalam to polling stations during the 2019 Presidential Election

Accountant Alagarathnam Manoranjan, who was attached to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Resettling project implemented under former Minister Rishad Bathiudeen, was remanded yesterday till October 26 by the Fort Magistrate’s Court for misappropriating public funds during the previous Presidential Election.

Police Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana said he was arrested by the CID in the Kirulapona area.

A police constable, who was a member of Bathiudeen’s security detail was also arrested in Wellawatta on Tuesday on charges of helping the MP to evade arrest and he was released on a personal bail of Rs.500,000 after being produced before the Magistrate.

Meanwhile, the two drivers aged 56 and 45, who were arrested by the CID, were remanded till October 28.

The CID also recovered two vehicles reportedly used by the former minister in the Wellawatta area.

DIG Rohana said the police recovered two pistols, 4 magazines and 48 rounds of ammunition from the vehicles.

He said the Attorney General had instructed to arrest former Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen, the Director of the project Mohamed Yaseen Samsudeen and the project accountant Alagarathnam Manoranjan for misappropriating public funds amounting to Rs. 9.5 million.

They have allegedly misused 222 buses belonging to the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) for transporting IDPS from Puttalam to polling stations in Silavathurai, Mannar during the 2019 Presidential Election.

The Spokesman said the investigation is underway to arrest the former Minister and Mohamed Yaseen over the charges.