Justice Ministry to act on Sicille’s warrant: AG

AG to take steps to arrest GKCCC Director Sicille Kotelawala who is still in hiding

The Attorney General’s Department told the Colombo High Court yesterday that steps would be taken through the Justice Ministry to arrest Golden Key Credit Card Company Director Sicille Kotelawala, who is in hiding since the company collapsed.

State Counsel Damith Totawatte said this to High Court Judge Kumudini Wickramasinghe in reply to a question by depositors’ counsel Sumudu Hewage.

Mr. Hewage said even though a warrant had been issued for the arrest of Ms. Kotelawala, the prosecution had failed to do so or at least had not made the British High Commission aware about the arrest warrant. He produced a letter in court purported to have been issued by the British High Commission to one of his clients saying so.

The prosecution also filed the data obtained from computers in evidence of the transactions that took place in the company.

The court ordered the prosecution to file the list of sureties for the accused in all the pending cases.

The Judge directed President’s Counsel Rienzie Arsecularatna to complain to the Court’s Police Post about Mr. Kotelawala being allegedly threatened by a depositor.

The Golden Key Credit Card Company directors were charged before the High Court under the Penal Code and Finance Companies Act for offences they had committed from March 1999 to December 2008, by unlawful financial activities.

Chief Executive Director Khavan Perera and Directors Saradha Sumanasekara, Suramya Karunanayake, Niranjan Fernando, Lalith Kotalawela, Sicille Kotalawela, Punyashantha Ranatunga and an Inland Revenue Department official W.R. Dharmasiri were indicted on 91 charges of violating the Finance Companies Act and conspiring and aiding and abetting to misappropriate around Rs.26 billion.

The GKCC Board of Directors and Ceylinco Consolidated Chairman

Even though a warrant had been issued for the arrest of Ms. Kotelawala, the prosecution had failed to do so

Lalith Kotalawela is alleged to have misappropriated the funds deposited in the company from 2002 to 2008 by investing the funds in other companies and other businesses.

The AG listed 778 witnesses and 82 documents to be produced as evidence. The case was postponed for May 10.