Monday, 22 August 2016

Hello Corp inquiry: Namal released on strict bail conditions


By Shehan Chamika Silva

Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa, Sudarshana Bandara Ganegoda and Nithya Senani Samaranayake, who were arrested by the FCID into the two cases conducted against them under the Money Laundering Act, were today released on bail by the Colombo Additional Magistrate Nishantha Peiris.

Suspects were accused over alleged two transactions worth Rs. 45 million, which had discovered during the main inquiry conducted against them into the alleged purchasing Rs. 100 million worth shares of a company called Hello Corp from alleged ill-gotten funds by the Gowers Corporation which is headed by Mr. Rajapaksa.

They were released on cash bail of Rs. 100,000 with four sureties of Rs. ten million each for every suspect.

The Magistrate imposing strict bail conditions, ordered the suspects to produce sureties with appropriate documents to prove their assets to represent suspects. And directed to report FCID on first and last Sundays in every month.

The Magistrate also advised the suspects that their bail conditions would be annulled and could be remanded until the case is over if they would interfere with witnesses inappropriately or hamper the investigation.

Filing a further report in court FCID told that it had recorded statements from the three suspects and extracts of the inquiry have been sent to the Attorney General for his attention.

The prosecution rejecting suspects being released on bail said that they have a suspicion of one Ahamad Al Saman, who is a wanted witness and missing now over the inquiry had been affected by the first suspect, Namal Rajapaksa.

Appearing for the suspects, Jayantha Weerasinghe PC filing a bail application ascertained that even though the offenses regarded as non bailable under the Money Laundering Act, section 7 of the Bail Act provides the Magistrate to consider on bail based on court's discretion over the matter.

Thereby he said according to section 14 of Bail Act his clients had not involved in any actions that can be regarded in refusing bail.

Presenting number of precedents pertaining to the inquiry, he said merely having a suspicion that a possibility of witnesses being affected is not sufficient to reject bail on suspects.

Considering the defence counsel's submission and relevant legal provisions in granting bail, the Magistrate observed that the court can’t see any grounds to refuse bail.

Appearing for the suspect of the inquiry, Sujani Bogollagama, who is currently being treated at Colombo National Hospital, Counsel Jeewantha Jayathilake said his client had undergone a surgery and there was no any falsification or manufacturered illness as FCID suggested earlier.

The Magistrate however directed the prosecution that court would not deliver any orders of preventing Sujani Bogollagama being arrested therefore to take appropriate steps accordingly.

Earlier, the prosecution had filed two separate cases against the suspects over the two suspicious Rs. 15 million and Rs. 30 million transactions.

According to the FCID, the suspect Namal Rajapaksa had dealt with a company called 'Boston Capital' and given Rs. 15 million by himself and another Rs. 30 million through one Indika Karunajeewa to the chairman of that company, Mr. Rohan Abey Iriyagolla, in order to conceal the origin of the alleged ill gotten funds.

The prosecution alleged that according to the statements got from the chairman of the Boston Company, the given money was paid to Gowers Corporation and NR Consultancy Companies again, which are headed by Namal Rajapaksa, under the disguise of payments for the services obtained by the Boston Company.

The two transactions were found by the prosecution as offences that fell under the Money Laundering Act. The other suspects, Indika Prabath Karunajeewa, Pavithra Sujani Bogollagama, and Iresha Silva were earlier named as suspects by the FCID over conspiring to commit the offences that fell under the Money Laundering and Penal Code and yet to be arrested.

The case was postponed for September 1.

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