Ex-basnayake Nilame remanded over alleged land scam

A former Basnayake Nilame of the Lankatilake Devale has been remanded on charges of fraud involving more than 280 acres of land belonging to a temple in Mawathagama, in the Kurunegala district. The suspect has been remanded till March 8, 2012

The Pilessa Court heard that Colombo resident P. P. R. Rajapakse had filed a complaint of alleged fraud committed by former Basnayake Nilame Samarasinghe Bandara of Kiribathkumbura. The suspect was employed in the office of a Basnayake Nilame of one of the four Kandy Devales, and it was during this time that he acquired a knowledge of land matters in respect of the four Devales, under the Buddhist Temporalities Act, and that this particular Devale owned 66,000 acres.

Mr. P. P. R. Rajapakse, the complainant, came to know that lands acquired by the Land Reform Commission were to be handed over to the Devales under a Presidential directive. Around the same time, a friend of Mr. Rajapakse’s contacted the suspect, and the two visited Mawatagama to view 280 acres. Mr. Rajapakse decided to buy the land, and paid the suspect a cash advance out of the Rs. 3.5 million the suspect wanted. The rest of the money was deposited in the suspect’s account in a bank in Kandy.

The money was paid in 2007 and 2008, but the land had not yet been handed over to the Devale concerned. The purchaser, Mr. Rajapakse, then demanded his money back. The suspect issued a cheque which was returned by the bank.

Inspector Niroshan Willawaarachchi and Inspector Saman Bandara of the Kurunegala Special Crimes Investi- gation Bureau are heading investigations, under the directions of ASP Mahinda Dissanayake.