Shiranthi's Prado mystery; Police going to court

The Attorney General's Department has directed the Police to record statements from officials in the Ministry of Law and Order and the Department of Motor Traffic over two Prado vehicles now with the Siriliya Saviya.

It is an NGO under Shiranthi Rajapaksa, wife of the former President. These two SUVs have been donated by the World Food Programme (WFP) after it imported a fleet for tsunami relief work in 2004.

As revealed last week, Police investigations at the Department of Motor Traffic have revealed that there was no record of the Prados bearing Garage Number Plates CR 109 and CR 114. Police later found that the Department had issued these two numbers to the Ministry of Law and Order.

Police will now question concerned officials at the Department of Motor Traffic to confirm there was no record of these vehicles. They will also ask concerned officials in the Ministry of Law and Order to ascertain how the two Garage Number plates came to be issued and the fate of the two vehicles.

The episode of the WFP donations surfaced after one of the Prados met with an accident. It came to light that it was driven by a member of the Presidential Security Division. Though the donation was made by the WFP, it was not mentioned in a statement the WFP issued about other vehicles being donated to Government institutions. A Finance Ministry official said the WFP had not paid the taxes involved, as Customs Regulations require, before donating them to NGOs.

Last week, Ms Rajapaksa sought Police help to seek the release of the Prado that was involved in the accident. However, Police sources said yesterday they would go to courts to seek an order that Siriliya Saviya should hand back to the Police the second Prado. This is in the light of the on- going investigations, the official said.